What's happened
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson defends his pandemic decisions at the Covid inquiry, facing questions about the 'eat out to help out' scheme and his handling of the crisis.
Why it matters
The inquiry is significant as it aims to examine the UK's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, with Johnson's testimony shedding light on key decisions and policies during the crisis.
What the papers say
The Guardian reports Johnson's defense of the 'eat out to help out' scheme and his handling of the pandemic, while The Times highlights his admission of underestimating the dangers posed by Covid. BBC News covers Johnson's apology for the pain and loss experienced during the pandemic, while The Independent focuses on Johnson's denial of wanting to let Covid 'rip'.
How we got here
The Covid inquiry aims to examine the UK's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, with key figures such as former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Health Secretary Matt Hancock facing questions about their decisions and policies during the crisis.
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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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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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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Matthew John David Hancock is a British politician serving as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care since 2018. A member of the Conservative Party, he previously served as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in 2018 for six mo
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Rishi Sunak is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2022.
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Politics.co.uk is a news and feature website focussing on British politics. For almost a decade up until the summer of 2021, the site was edited by the political journalist, Ian Dunt.