Thread by @georgegrylls

Baroness Hallett wrote to Boris Johnson on February 3 with a list of 150 questions about the government’s handling of the pandemic.

Some of them are pretty savage – basically asking Johnson why he didn’t sack Hancock, why he didn’t attend Cobra in Feb 2020. Some of the best...

"In relation to the response to Covid 19, did you have any concerns regarding the performance of any Cabinet Minister between January 2022 - February 2022?

(...) did you receive advice from the then Cabinet Secretary that Matt Hancock MP, should be removed from his position?"

"To what extent did you believe that coronavirus was akin to influenza? Did you hold and express the initial view in early 2020 that Covid-19 was not a serious threat and was akin to swine flu?"

"Why did you not attend any COBR meetings in relation to Covid-19 prior to 2 March 2020, given the seriousness of the emergency?"

"Were you advised or requested to attend any of the
previous meetings on 24 January, 29 January, 4 February, 12 February, and 18 February?"

"Why did you attend a personal/social meeting on the evening of 19 March, after you had called on the UK on 16 March to stop all non-essential contact with others?"

"Why did the UK Government not advise the public in February or March 2020 to wear face coverings on a precautionary basis?"

"Did you inform the then Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, during a phone call on or around 13 March 2020 that you “wanted herd immunity”, or words to that effect?"

"Please confirm whether in March 2020 (or around that period), you suggested to senior civil servants and advisors that you be injected with Covid-19 on television to demonstrate to the public that it did not pose a threat?"

"In or around Autumn 2020, did you state that you would rather “let the bodies pile high” than order another lockdown, or words to that effect? If so, please set out the circumstances in which you made these comments."

“Please explain what impact, if any, you consider alleged breaches of social restriction and lockdown rules by Ministers, officials and advisers... had on public confidence and the maintenance of observance of those rules by the public?”