Johnson said ‘malingering’ people should get back to work, Covid inquiry hears

More extracts from Professor Sir Patrick Vallance’s diaries have been shown at the inquiry.

Boris Johnson was prime minister during the pandemic (PA) (PA Wire)

Boris Johnson said “malingering work-shy people” needed to get back to work in July 2021 and the Government “can’t have the bollocks of consulting with employees and trade unions”, the Covid inquiry has heard.

Extracts from Professor Sir Patrick Vallance’s diaries, when he was Government chief scientific adviser, show the then prime minister getting increasingly frustrated at the remaining restrictions in the summer of 2021.

A diary entry dated July 2 2001 said: “PM meeting – cases up, hospital admissions up. PM looks downbeat and talks of grim predictions.

Basically it is PM and Cx against a more cautious (Michael) Gove and Saj. PM in a bad mood

Patrick Vallance diary entry

“Saj (Javid) says ‘we are going to have to learn to live with it’, ‘and die with it’, PM says.

“Cx (then chancellor Rishi Sunak) pushes very hard for faster opening up and fuller opening up. Getting rid of all restrictions.

“Repeats his mantra ‘we either believe in the Vx (vaccine) or we don’t’.”

The entry says Mr Johnson then asked: “Are we going to encourage people to wear masks? Are we going to continue with this bollocks?”

The entry added: “He says he wants everyone back and work ‘we can’t have the bollocks of consulting with employees and trade unions. They need to come back to work. All the malingering work-shy people.’

“Says how much of CS (civil service) is back ‘how would you be able to tell’ he says.

“Saj argues for caution. Basically it is PM and Cx against a more cautious (Michael) Gove and Saj. PM in a bad mood.”

The UK Covid-19 public inquiry was shown a further extract from Sir Patrick’s diaries dated June 30 2021 where he states that Mr Javid, then health secretary, and then education secretary Gavin Williamson were “jostling for dominance and airtime”.