Covid Inquiry – Welsh First Minister: Boris Johnson absent – watch in full
Covid Inquiry – Welsh First Minister: Boris Johnson absent
Mark Drakeford, who stands down as Welsh Labour leader this month answers questions throughout the day on the nation’s response to the pandemic in 2020.
As first minister, Mr Drakeford, 69, was ultimately responsible for the country’s lockdown rules with his government in charge of the NHS, education and councils.
Mark Drakeford says it was “extraordinary” Prime Minister Boris Johnson deliberately did not meet devolved leaders. This happened regularly in early 2020.
Boris Johnson was like the “absent” manager of a football team during the pandemic, the first minister of Wales has claimed.
Drakeford says: he would have liked to see Boris Johnson chairing Cobra meetings sooner in pandemic.
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has taken evidence from Welsh ministers and officials in Cardiff. This for the past two weeks. The Wales module scheduled to end on Thursday.
On Monday, Vaughan Gething, the Welsh health minister told the inquiry Boris Johnson was “incoherent and rambling” during meetings. Also apologised for deleting his WhatsApp messages.
Wales’ first minister says he “regularly” wrote to the PM asking for meetings but tells the inquiry Johnson refused “as a matter of policy”
The inquiry covers decision-making during the pandemic by the UK government and the devolved governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
A total of 10,271 people in Wales have died due to Covid – with a further 2,299 deaths listing Covid as a contributing factor
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First Minister for Wales Mark Drakeford gives evidence in #CovidInquiry view LIVE https://t.co/wyxMCIxmPn he says it was ‘extraordinary’ #BorisJohnson did not meet devolved leaders #Wales #Cardiff #Health #government #ynuktv pic.twitter.com/SCY8iWpiVG
— YourNewsUKtv (@YourNewsUKtv) March 13, 2024
