By Ben Kerrigan-
Sir Patrick Vallance, former chief scientific adviser to the government has provide crucial evidence on Monday.
This follows revelations from his pandemic diaries that have already offered a glimpse into the inner workings of decision-making during the crisis.
The former chief scientific adviser is scheduled to speak all day, followed by England’s Chief Medical Officer Sir Chris Whitty on Tuesday and his former deputy, Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, on Wednesday.
Sir Patrick’s diaries from the pandemic have been in the spotlight during the inquiry after he revealed that former prime minister Boris Johnson once described coronavirus as “nature’s way of dealing with old people”.
Sir Patrick, who served as the Government’s chief scientific adviser from 2018 to 2023, also wrote about his own frustrations in dealing with the then-prime minister.
He also said that he and Sir Chris felt Number 10 officials were trying to “strong-arm” them into appearing by Mr Johnson’s side at a Downing Street press conference following the then-prime minister’s ex-chief adviser Dominic Cummings’ press conference on his lockdown trip to Barnard Castle.
The journey was clearly against the rules and Mr Cummings’ televised appearance before the media was a “car crash”, the former chief scientist said in an entry in May 2020.
His diaries have been a focal point of the inquiry, shedding light on significant moments and interactions with key figures, including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The inquiry has already seen extracts from Sir Patrick’s diaries, exposing statements made by Boris Johnson during the early days of the pandemic.
Notably, Johnson was quoted as describing coronavirus as “nature’s way of dealing with old people.” These diaries are expected to play a pivotal role in assessing the decision-making processes at the highest levels of government.
In one excerpt from August 2020, Vallance describes “quite a bonkers set of exchanges” in a WhatsApp group including Johnson.
The PM was “obsessed with older people accepting their fate and letting the young get on with life”, Vallace records.
Patrick Vallance thought Sir Chris Whitty was a lockdown “delayer” in the early days of the pandemic’s spread, his diaries reveal, Archie Mitchell reports.
The ex-chief scientific adviser said the chief medical officer was “concerned about the adverse effects” of measures such as lockdown.
He told the inquiry: “[Chris Whitty] was concerned that there would be more than just the issue of the direct cause of death from the virus, that there would be indirect causes of death due to effects on the NHS, that there would be indirect harms due to people isolating, mental health, loneliness, issues of health that come from that procedure, and that there will be indirect long term consequences due to the economic impact creating poverty, which is a major driver of health.”
Sir Patrick’s diary from February 2021 said that, when wondering whether lockdown was implemented too late, “[Chris Whitty] was a delayer of course”.
“We should have gone earlier,” Sir Patrick told the inquiry.
The former chief scientific adviser’s scheduled appearance on Monday will be closely followed by England’s Chief Medical Officer, Sir Chris Whitty, on Tuesday, and Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, former Deputy Chief Medical Officer, on Wednesday.
Their testimonies are anticipated to provide further insights into the government’s strategies and decision-making during the pandemic.
Among the revelations from Sir Patrick’s diaries are instances of the former Prime Minister’s unconventional remarks and frustrations expressed by Sir Patrick in dealing with Johnson.
The diaries suggest that Johnson was particularly focused on economic considerations, with references to him being “obsessed with older people accepting their fate” in one entry.
The inquiry has also examined Sir Patrick’s experiences during the press conferences at Downing Street. According to the diaries, Number 10 officials attempted to “strong-arm” Sir Patrick and Sir Chris into appearing alongside Johnson after Dominic Cummings’ controversial press conference regarding his lockdown trip to Barnard Castle.
Sir Patrick Vallance has objected to the publication of his pandemic-era diaries in full, characterizing them as a “brain dump” written at the end of stressful days to safeguard his mental health.
The decision on whether the entries should be disclosed entirely rests with inquiry chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett.
Throughout the inquiry, Sir Patrick has maintained that his role was to convey scientific evidence transparently rather than to align with the government’s preferences.
His testimony is expected to provide a critical perspective on the interface between science and policymaking during the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic.
The inquiry will continue with evidence from other significant figures, including the current chief scientific adviser, Dame Angela McLean, and prominent government officials later in the week.