Covid Inquiry: Boris Johnson thought Covid would be "like swine flu" says Dominic Cummings

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not take Covid-19 serious enough at the onset of the global pandemic, his former adviser said.

Dominic Cummings, who left his post in disgrace during the pandemic after a trip to Castle Durham, is giving evidence today (31 October) to the Covid-19 Inquiry panel. A WhatsApp message shown to the inquiry from Mr Johnson’s former chief adviser Dominic Cummings on 3 March 2020 indicated the then-prime minister did not think Covid was a “big deal”.

A message to communications chief Lee Cain said: "He [Mr Johnson] doesn’t think it’s a big deal and he doesn’t think anything can be done and his focus is elsewhere, he thinks it’ll be like swine flu and he thinks his main danger is talking economy into a slump.”

Cummings described the Cabinet Office as a “bomb site” and a “dumpster fire” when he took up his role as adviser to Boris Johnson, adding that there was an “overall dysfunctional system” in place during the pandemic. He said everyone in Downing Street also called Boris Johnson a “trolley” due to his propensity to change direction.

He said: "I would say, overall, it’s widespread failure but pockets of excellent people and pockets of excellent teams doing excellent work within an overall dysfunctional system. [Downing Street] is not configured to be the nerve centre of a national crisis like Covid.

"Pretty much everyone called him [Johnson] a trolley, yeah."

Lead counsel to the inquiry Hugo Keith KC said to Cummings: "You called ministers useless f***pigs, morons, c***s, in email and Whatapps to your professional colleagues.” Mr Cummings replied that he was “reflecting a widespread view amongst competent people at the centre of power at the time about the calibre of a lot of senior people who were dealing with this crisis extremely badly.”