British PM Rishi Sunak was quoted as saying the government should ‘just let people die’ during the global health crisis rather than impose a second national lockdown, per Reuters.
During the inquiry into Britain's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was revealed on Monday that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was reportedly quoted as suggesting the government should "just let people die" rather than impose a second national lockdown. The information came from a diary entry by Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser at the time, following a meeting involving then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Sunak on Oct. 25, 2020.
Vallance's diary noted that Dominic Cummings, Johnson's top adviser during the pandemic, conveyed to him what was discussed at the meeting. Cummings reportedly stated, "Rishi thinks just let people die, and that's okay. This all feels like a complete lack of leadership."
In response to these claims, a spokesman for Sunak mentioned that the prime minister would provide his perspective when giving evidence to the inquiry rather than responding in fragments.
The ongoing inquiry is scrutinizing the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic, which led to significant economic shutdowns and resulted in over 220,000 deaths in Britain. The investigation is expected to continue until the summer of 2026.
The revelations pose a challenge for Sunak, potentially undermining his attempt to present himself as a departure from the perceived chaotic leadership of Johnson, despite being one of the highest-ranking ministers in that government. Previous evidence indicated that Sunak faced criticism from a government scientific adviser who dubbed him "Dr. Death" over the "Eat Out to Help Out" policy in the summer of 2020, which subsidized meals in pubs and restaurants but drew health experts' criticism for contributing to virus spread.
