Boris Johnson will this week reject claims that he did not concentrate on the emerging Covid threat during the February 2020 half-term because he was writing a book about William Shakespeare.
The former prime minister will cite diaries showing that he went back to Number 10 for meetings when he gives evidence to the Covid Inquiry on Wednesday and Thursday.
Mr Johnson’s team believe the line of questioning about his time away from Downing Street at Chevening, the grace-and-favour mansion in Kent, is a “red herring”.
But the defence is sure to be scrutinised by the inquiry’s legal team, which has at points expressed alarm at the lack of written proof of work on Covid during that period.
Hugo Keith KC, the inquiry’s chief counsel, has asked previous witnesses why, between Feb 14 and Feb 24 2020, Mr Johnson did not receive more Covid material.
During that time, which coincided with the school half term in England, the threat from Covid was becoming clearer. A nationwide lockdown was announced the following month.
At his two-day appearance, Mr Johnson will reject claims that he was not engaged in Covid policy during the 10-day period, according to an ally familiar with preparations.
He is expected to cite diary entries that show he returned to Downing Street on a number of occasions during the period. It will also be claimed that he had his ministerial red box with him during his time away from Number 10.
If asked, Mr Johnson will dismiss the idea that half-term was spent writing a book on Shakespeare rather than engaging with the emerging pandemic, an ally said.
A senior Tory source familiar with his preparations told The Telegraph the half-term criticism “was a red herring that was raised by malevolent critics”.
The source said: “The evidence shows, from the diary extracts, that he wasn’t away all the time. He came back into the office from Chevening. The records show he was working the whole time, he wasn’t writing a book… We think this one is quite easily dealt with.”
Mr Keith has focused on the 10-day period during previous witness appearances, including when questioning Martin Reynolds, the official who headed up Mr Johnson’s private office, in an oral session back in October.
He said then of the 10-day period: “There were no emails. There were no notes put in his red box. You don’t appear to have been in touch with him about coronavirus, or anybody else.
“To what extent did you think to yourself we’ve got… emails about a viral pandemic coming our way? Why was nothing done in terms of keeping the prime minister in the loop in those 10 days?”
Mr Reynolds said: “I cannot recall why and whether there was any urgent business to transact over that period with the PM.”
Dominic Cummings was also asked about the break, saying there was an “insane” number of people on holiday during half term when Mr Johnson was away at Chevening as fears around the virus began to increase.
He said: “It was indeed pretty insane that so many of the senior people were on holiday at that time. But it’s also important to realise that it’s not like the Civil Contingencies Secretariat or the National Security Council, or any of the organisations in charge of this were beating the drum and saying ‘we’ve got to get the PM back’.”
Rishi Sunak is expected to give evidence to the inquiry next week, though the exact date has yet to be announced.
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2023-12-03 20:22:00Z
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