I struggle to see how you can not make allowances for Matt Hancock, a relatively inexperienced politician, young, who hasn't had a long senior career, and who finds himself thrust into the hot seat when he is given the role of Health Secretary as Jeremy Hunt left it - and with an unpredicted pandemic about to hit. Perhaps they should have got the latter, Jeremy Hunt, back to help out when it became clear what an absolutely enormous job it is going to be, during unprecedented times, with no clear idea how the virus is going to behave.
Mat Hancock has faced the press week in, week out: bravely, you could say; dutifully, anyway. I hate to think of ministers telling a lot of lies, and I hope he hasn't. I don't agree or approve of lying, under any circumstances. But, goodness, if there are times to expect people to make mistakes, these are them. It was wrong to put just that one person in charge of health; they should have had a team to share the mental load.
Who does Dominic Cummings think would have desired the job had Matt Hancock been sacked? That and working for Boris Johnson, who is said to be muddled would put everyone off, I'm sure. Michael Gove wouldn't have taken it, I bet. And much easier to be an anonymous adviser like Cummings.
If there had been lies, I'd say Boris Johnson should have made it his business to find these out, and to have checked elderly people were being tested.
How can one man shoulder the health portfolio in times like these?
I think a coalition of all parties should have formed last year, and Labour politicians could have done some scrutinizing from within. Not to late to do it next month.