Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke this week about regret for the pain, loss and suffering experienced by Covid-19 victims. He opened his testimony ahead of the official inquiry into the pandemic led by former judge Heather Hallett. The inquiry, in its second of four stages, scrutinizes how authorities managed the crisis.
Witnesses have quoted Johnson during this investigation detailing harsh judgments about the elderly and the public’s ability to understand scientific graphs, including claims of managing with incompetence and chaos. At the outset of his statement, which continues through the next day, Hallett expressed disappointment that the prime minister’s remarks were leaked to the press and noted that interruptions during proceedings can lead to removal from the room.
Johnson conveyed empathy saying he understands the feelings of victims and their families and expressed deep sorrow for the pain, loss and suffering they have endured. He admitted that mistakes were made by his government, but he argued that he could not rank them in a simple hierarchy.
Responding to a question from inquiry lawyer Hugo Keith, Johnson pledged to take responsibility for decisions taken during the pandemic, including the timing of the first lockdown on March 23, 2020, which several witnesses described as too late to protect residents in nursing homes. The former prime minister, who led the government during a period of intense pressure, faced pressures to resign amid several scandals that culminated in his departure in 2022. He maintained that the sheer scale of the country, with a large elderly population and dense urban centers, did not make it easier to keep death numbers down.
Johnson also acknowledged that he had no explanation for some missing WhatsApp messages between him and his aides from the early days of the outbreak, which limited experts’ ability to review those communications. Outside the hall in London, families of Covid victims waited for their turn to question the former leader as the inquiry progressed.
Aamer Anwar, who leads the legal team for the Scottish Victims’ Family Group, criticized the government’s handling of the crisis. He said the response was marked by narcissism rather than a collective effort to solve a national emergency, adding that many lives were lost and that the elderly were left exposed. The group emphasized that more than a quarter of a million people died from Covid and that those who could not speak for themselves deserve a full account of what happened, along with truth and accountability for the families, the bereaved and everyone affected by the pandemic.