Watch: Michael Gove gives evidence to Covid inquiry

Watch as Michael Gove gives evidence to the Covid inquiry on Thursday, 13 July.

The levelling up and housing secretary was Cabinet Office minister when the pandemic began in 2020.

Before Mr Gove, the inquiry heard evidence from Melanie Field, from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and Richard Horton, editor of the Lancet medical journal.

The inquiry is in its first module examining the UK’s preparedness for the pandemic.

After the pandemic broke out, the High Court found that the government acted unlawfully when it handed a £560,000 contract to a firm Mr Gove had “personal connections” with.

Mr Gove denied any favouritism had been shown to market research agency Public First.

The minister is the latest Tory figure to give evidence to the Covid inquiry.

His appearance today came after the inquiry heard from David Cameron and George Osborne about the UK’s planning for the pandemic.

The former prime minister told the inquiry it was a “mistake” for his government to focus too heavily on preparations for combating a wave of flu rather than a coronavirus-like pandemic.