Outrage as No 10 rules out urgent inquiry into Covid mistakes

Exclusive: bereaved families are told that people who would need to give evidence' are working round clock'

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The government has caused anger among bereaved families by telling them it will be too busy to start an inquiry into the UK's handling of the Covid pandemic for months.

In a six-page letter to lawyers for thousands of families calling for an immediate statutory public inquiry, the government said an inquiry now is not appropriate" and the very people who would need to give evidence to an inquiry are working round the clock". It said it is not anticipated that the government's workload will ease in the coming months".