Boris Johnson says he avoided engaging with devolved administrations during pandemic for political reasons – UK Covid inquiry live

Former PM suggests he was suspicious of being outflanked politically and feared friction and leaks

Johnson has walked back claims that Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance were present to properly discuss" the eat out to help out scheme before it went live, conceding that no scientists attended meetings about the scheme.

Johnson said he had frankly assumed" they were involved in talks about the scheme with the Treasury and that he was surprised it was smuggled past them".