What's happened
Boris Johnson and other government officials expressed callous views towards older people during the pandemic, as revealed in the Covid inquiry.
Why it matters
The revelation of Boris Johnson's remarks highlights the lack of empathy and disregard for older people's lives during the pandemic, raising concerns about ageism and the government's handling of the crisis.
What the papers say
The Guardian reports that Boris Johnson and other government officials were allegedly obsessed with older people accepting their fate and saw Covid as nature's way of dealing with them. The New Statesman highlights the callousness shown towards the elderly during the pandemic, while The Mirror focuses on Dominic Cummings' explosive testimony and his criticism of Matt Hancock's handling of the crisis.
How we got here
The Covid inquiry is investigating the UK government's response to the pandemic, including decision-making and policies. The revelation of Boris Johnson's controversial remarks adds to the ongoing scrutiny of the government's handling of the crisis.
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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