Boris Johnson arrived at the Covid Inquiry before sunrise on a recent day, ready to confront difficult questions regarding his government’s handling of the pandemic. The former Prime Minister faced scrutiny over leaked messages to his advisers that highlighted his decision-making process during a tumultuous period in British history.
During the questioning, Johnson spoke about the damage caused by the exam results debacle of August 2020. He claimed he had personally contemplated sacking officials from the Department for Education (DfE) over the crisis. This admission placed a fine point on his annoyed tone towards the government’s handling of school interruptions due to the pandemic.
Johnson intended that passionate risk, which he made palpable as he railed against the terrible decision to shut down schools. He branded it a “personal horror” and a “nightmare concept.” He admitted that even though the decision made all the sense in the world at the time, this was a heavy burden on him. “We all wish we had that one back,” said Johnson. He thought other strategies might have been used to exempt children from lockdowns and social-distancing regulations.
The investigation found that Johnson now admits these lockdowns and social-distancing measures “just went too far.” It caused him to reflect on what alternative measures could have reduced the negative effects on youth and children. He recommended that targeted media briefings specifically designed for youth audiences would have been useful. His remarks suggested a willingness to reconsider the government’s past approach and its impact on school-aged kids.
Then in March 2020, the pandemic hit with full force. I appreciate the effort, but the government panicked and prioritized keeping schools open unconditionally during this dangerous time. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) had already warned of the possibility of “mass school closures.” Even with these warnings, the DfE’s contingency plans were built on the expectation that schools would stay open. Poor advance planning and communication was when the situation descended into chaos at summer closure announcement came. Yet there was no formal plan established up until literally the day before that announcement, March 17, 2020.
Last year’s Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, gave evidence as part of the inquiry. He disclosed that guidance from Downing Street hamstrung his ability to prepare for school closures. This shocking moment peeled back another layer of complexity to Johnson’s stewardship during the crisis, exposing a major schism inside his administration.
As Johnson finished his testimony, he realized that these hearings were probably not the way forward and was anxious to end these proceedings. We saw him repeatedly trying to free himself from his chair to signal he was ready to call it a day and go home. This urgency created a dissonance with the solemnity of the investigations thus far.
The Liberal Democrats responded furiously to the admissions made by Johnson in evidence to the inquiry, branding them an “insult”. Localizers decried his overly technocratic approach to educational policy through the course of the pandemic. They were most critical of his obvious disconnect from the effect of his choices.
