Cabinet turmoil a key reason for ‘dismal’ UK response to Covid, inquiry told

Former cabinet secretary Lord Gus O'Donnell also says breaches of Covid rules by those in power destroyed public trust

Political inexperience and cabinet-level turmoil at the heart of Boris Johnson's government were key reasons why the UK coped poorly with challenges brought by the pandemic compared with peer countries, the Covid inquiry has heard.

Giving evidence to the inquiry on Tuesday, the former cabinet secretary Lord Gus O'Donnell also said the breaching of Covid rules by those in power destroyed the [public's] trust".