How can Rishi Sunak sleep at night?

Letters to the editor: our readers share their views. Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

The Covid WhattsApp furore is likely to let rather too many cats out of ministerial bags (PA)

The Covid inquiry is likely to spread its tentacles into all corners of the pandemic, and while much of it is already becoming subject to spin, interpretation and cover-ups, I’m wondering how Rishi Sunak’s Eat Out to Help Out brainwave will fare under forensic scrutiny. The Covid WhattsApp furore is likely to let rather too many cats out of ministerial bags, and we’re all already aware of the dissent within government.

“Professor Hindsight” may well be invoked in the argument but there were many calls from epidemiologists at the time to review the chancellor’s bid to support the catering sector for fear of promoting increased infection rates. Whether it was worth it remains a moot point, but I’d guess there are few who won’t be surprised if it turned out to have significantly added to our final death toll. How Rishi Sunak can sleep at night I have no idea... but I couldn’t if it turned out the virologists were proven to be right after being overruled in favour of commercial pressures.

Steve Mackinder