Dominic C Covid evidence 2

[Newtonianmechanics]

New thread for if old fills up.

https://x.com/peterwalker99/status/1734180136834973799?s=20

Sunak seemingly also claims that he can't even remember being in the meeting at which lockdown was decided (his answer wasn't 100% clear). That would be quite something.

Looking back at the transcript, it does seem as if Sunak is saying he can't recall the lockdown-imposing meeting. Asked by Hugo Keith about the decision on 23 March 2020, and the cabinet meeting the next day, Sunak replied: "I can't precisely record that particular meeting."

https://x.com/implausibleblog/status/1734190442403578119?s=20

Hugo Keith asks Rishi Sunak about the extend of his influence over Boris Johnson over decision making.

Sunak dismisses this suggesting he didn't have any undue influence over Johnson's decicion making process.

Hugo Keith then shows emails form Sunak's private secretary which suggests that he did have influence over Johnson.

Sunak, "Is it possible that I might have had a chat with the PM once a meeting wound up.. I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with that" #CovidInquiry

https://x.com/tamcohen/status/1734193076405408129?s=20

Again seems like a different Rishi Sunak from the spectator piece.
Why was non-essential retail opened before schools?
He says people working in retail were economically vulnerable - and there were big concerns in the sector (teachers/parents) about the reopening of schools.

https://x.com/peterwalker99/status/1734196098485371298?s=20

We're now getting into late June 2020, when HMT officials went to a Sage meeting a noted concerns that the proposals to open the economy were "at the riskier end" and could delay re-opening schools. Sunak says: “I don’t recall seeing that email.”

We're getting near the business end of the evidence - eat out to help out/summer 2020 - and Sunak is rigorously sticking to his view that he was not warned how risky the wider opening-up measures were, despite evidence to the contrary being shown by Hugo Keith.

Nice bit of obfuscation and blame shifting there.

Teachers and parents (and, actually, children)were concerned but there was a huge resistance to mitigations. In fact, most of the stuff about schools was arrant and abject nonsense. And contradictory. And hijacked by political ideology.

He is very aggrieved and annoyed that he is being questioned on Eat Out scheme.

If only there had been a minister for children...

https://x.com/implausibleblog/status/1734218930766434346?s=20

Hugo Keith, "The point here is that this email demonstrates that the Treasury, this is your principle private secretary, were told, rightly and responsibly, that there were alarm bells ringing about the package already in place. And therefore, the Treasury could not have been unaware that whatever it proposed in the public interest (from June onwards), economically going forward, came with risks. There is no way any responsible Treasury could consider implementing plans without having at least half an eye on the epidemiological consequences. Otherwise, your principle private secretary would not be writing to you at this time"

Rishi Sunak, "I didn't write these emails. I didn't see them"

Rishi Sunak's defence for Eat Out To Help Out is that he wasn't aware the scientists were warning about case rises in June #CovidInquiry

What a group of failures we have had in government. Sunak isn't up to being PM. He is rotting in office.

Integrity, honesty and professionalism to the fore.

He is always like that. He conveys contempt for people asking him things as a democratic politician. Unsuited to it and very brittle in personality.

Spot on. I was struggling to describe him, thanks for putting it so succinctly

Yes, this is what he has in common with Johnson. Is it the arrogance of the public school boy, perhaps?

'Who are you, and why are you bothering me?'

Of course, I should add Hugo Keith is probably posher than both of them, and I bet that rankles.

https://x.com/Haggis_UK/status/1734233396954485145?s=20

Hugo Keith KC: Patrick Vallance suggested you or the Chief Whip(Spencer) said "good working people pay for their children to eat & don't want free loaders" in regard to FSM?

Rishi Sunak: "I did not say those words & I don't recollect anyone saying those words..."

He's speaking over the Scottish KC, talking across her, ignoring her intervention repeatedly. What a rude bastard he is.

My god... how patronising and condescending he is being to the BAME spokesperson.

He acted so badly there. Resentful and almost sulky. What a horrible little man he is.

https://x.com/Haggis_UK/status/1734246477872889951?s=20

Rajiv Menon KC: Lee Cain said the Govt's initial resistance, 2020, to FSC was a huge blunder.. do you agree that he was right?

Rishi Sunak: I can't remember

RM: Who then was initially opposed to funding this..

RS: I can't recall

RM: What was your view

RS: I can't recall

This tweet should read FSM

Sunak is now assuring Rajiv Menon, the barrister for a series of children's charities, that on the issue of free school meals during Covid he cannot remember:
• his own view on the issue.
• who else might have opposed/backed it.
• how the decision was ultimately reversed.

Why doesn't Sunak just be honest?

He has and had no interest in free school meals, doesn't know why they exist and has never met anyone who has needed them.

For these reasons he had no view of them.

He loves saying "I don't agree with that characterisation" endlessly

Hmm at deletion below. I can’t say I get the need for repeating the same line over and over

Maybe things are tough irl

As I said not good, but maybe there’s an explanation

This doesn’t say much for Win Col’a maths and science teaching. He’s clever enough to have figured out what would happen. Most of the rest of the country knew.

This is more annoying than Boris, who it turns out actually is an idiot, who struggles with comprehending ideas when explained to him. Rishi is far from that.