What's happened
Boris Johnson's controversial views on Covid-19 and older people were revealed during the Covid Inquiry.
Why it matters
The revelation of Boris Johnson's remarks is significant as it sheds light on his attitude towards the pandemic and raises questions about his handling of the crisis.
What the papers say
The Mirror highlights the anger expressed by West End star Ruthie Henshall, whose mother died in a care home during lockdown, and her criticism of Johnson's attitude. The NY Post provides details from Sir Patrick Vallance's notes, which reveal Johnson's obsession with older people accepting their fate. The Times reports on Johnson downplaying the threat of Covid-19 and his resistance to a second lockdown. The Independent focuses on Johnson's belief that Covid-19 was 'Nature's way of dealing with old people'. The Telegraph reveals Johnson's remark questioning the need to damage the economy for people who would die soon anyway. BBC News highlights the criticism of Johnson's leadership by the UK's top civil servant, Simon Case.
How we got here
The Covid Inquiry has been investigating the UK government's response to the pandemic, including the decision-making process and the actions of key figures such as Boris Johnson.
More on these topics
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Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson Hon FRIBA is a British politician, writer, and former journalist serving as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2019.
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Sir Patrick John Thompson Vallance FRS FMedSci FRCP is a British physician, scientist, and clinical pharmacologist who has worked in both academia and industry and, since March 2018, has been the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of the United Ki
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The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.
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Simon Case CVO is a British civil servant who is serving as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service since 9 September 2020, succeeding Sir Mark Sedwill.
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Dominic Mckenzie Cummings is a British political strategist who has served as chief adviser to UK prime minister Boris Johnson since July 2019.