Dominic Cummings starts with mea culpa. “The truth is senior ministers, officials & advisers like me fell short of standards the public has a right to expect. When the public needed us most, we failed. I’d like to say to all the families how sorry I am for the mistakes we made”. 
Cummings says there were conversations in No 10 about pandemic in first weeks of January.
He had a "general chat" with PM on Covid in middle of Jan and texted Matt Hancock to check on plans on Jan 25. But he says those preparations turned out to be "hollow".
He had a "general chat" with PM on Covid in middle of Jan and texted Matt Hancock to check on plans on Jan 25. But he says those preparations turned out to be "hollow".
Cummings says No 10 was not on a "war-footing" on the pandemic in February.
"A lot of key people were literally skiing in February... the PM went on holiday for two weeks".
He says "sense of urgency" only apparent in the last week of that month.
"A lot of key people were literally skiing in February... the PM went on holiday for two weeks".
He says "sense of urgency" only apparent in the last week of that month.
So far Cummings is taking responsibility for the slow initial response to the pandemic.
"In retrospect, I should have been hitting the panic button more in February."
Will be harder for No 10 to dismiss this as a 'vendetta' if he continues to take his share of blame.
"In retrospect, I should have been hitting the panic button more in February."
Will be harder for No 10 to dismiss this as a 'vendetta' if he continues to take his share of blame.
Cummings didn't go to Cobra meetings - but sent others in his place and had one-to-ones. Also didn't advise PM to attend them.
"Lots of Cobra meetings are just going through slides and aren't massively useful".
Adds that Cobra - supposed to be ultra-secure - were leaky.
"Lots of Cobra meetings are just going through slides and aren't massively useful".
Adds that Cobra - supposed to be ultra-secure - were leaky.
Boris Johnson initially regarded Covid as "scare story" and "the new swine flu", he says.
No 10 officials decided it wld be unhelpful to have PM at Cobra if "he just tells everyone don't worry about it" and suggests getting injected on live TV. "They wouldn't take it seriously".
No 10 officials decided it wld be unhelpful to have PM at Cobra if "he just tells everyone don't worry about it" and suggests getting injected on live TV. "They wouldn't take it seriously".
Dominic Cummings: “I'm not a technical person, I'm not a smart person, I couldn't understand all of the models and things like that.”
Just me or does this “humility” not feel genuine?
Just me or does this “humility” not feel genuine?
Cummings explains thinking on "herd immunity" - regarded as "unavoidable fact", only question over timing.
Seen as choice between herd immunity by Sept w/ single peak *or* by Jan w/ 2nd peak.
"Nobody was saying they wanted this to happen, they viewed it as an inevitability".
Seen as choice between herd immunity by Sept w/ single peak *or* by Jan w/ 2nd peak.
"Nobody was saying they wanted this to happen, they viewed it as an inevitability".
He insists that the official plan at the start of the pandemic was to shield the vulnerable,and by the time they came out of the rest of pop had herd immunity.
"That was the plan, I'm completely baffled as to why No 10 try to deny that".
"That was the plan, I'm completely baffled as to why No 10 try to deny that".
Cummings told PM and officials on March 11 that plan for delay was far riskier than moving sooner.
He texted PM & chief scientists: “Why wait five days, why not move now?”
He texted PM & chief scientists: “Why wait five days, why not move now?”
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