By Tony O’Reilly-
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson struggled to comprehend the scientific nuances of the coronavirus, as detailed in the private diaries of Sir Patrick Vallance- the government’s chief scientific adviser during the pandemic.
Sir Patrick Vallance, who served in the crucial role from 2018 to 2023, laid bare his frustrations in attempting to convey complex scientific models and graphs to Johnson.
The diaries, presented to the inquiry, painted a vivid picture of the challenges faced by the scientist in ensuring the prime minister grasped the gravity of the virus’s impact.
In entries from May 2020, Vallance expressed his exasperation with Johnson’s struggle to understand the presented statistics, stating, “My God, this is complicated”.
Models will not provide the answer. PM is clearly bamboozled.” The diaries highlighted instances where the prime minister appeared confused about various aspects of the pandemic, from the lethality of the disease to the types of tests being conducted.
In June, Vallance noted, “Watching the PM get his head round stats is awful. He finds relative and absolute risk almost impossible to understand.”
Despite these challenges, Vallance defended Johnson during his testimony, asserting that the difficulty in conveying scientific concepts to politicians was not unique to the UK.
The diaries also shed light on Johnson’s perspective on the pandemic, with one entry revealing the former prime minister describing COVID-19 as “nature’s way of dealing with old people.”
Another entry pointed to Johnson’s attempt to influence the Treasury, referring to it as the “pro-death squad” when seeking support for easing restrictions.
Furthermore, the inquiry disclosed that current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was chancellor at the time, did not consult scientists before introducing the controversial Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
Sir Patrick Vallance’s diaries, described as a “brain dump” to protect his mental health during the challenging period, have been pivotal in examining the actions of key figures in the government.
The entries have provided insights into the dynamics within Downing Street, including attempts to “strong-arm” Vallance and Sir Chris Whitty into appearing alongside Johnson at a press conference following Dominic Cummings’ controversial lockdown trip to Barnard Castle.
The British public was split with respect to the credibility of scientists during the pandemic due to numerous conspiracy theories circulating about a hidden agenda connected with lockdowns and the vaccination programme.
Some were even doubtful about the reality of the deadly virus which was killing countless number of people.