Patrick Vallance contradicts Rishi Sunak’s evidence to Covid inquiry

PM would almost certainly have known concerns over eat out to help out' scheme, says former chief scientific adviser

• Explainer: How Vallance's diaries exposed chaos inside No 10

Rishi Sunak would almost certainly have known scientists were worried about his eat out to help out" scheme during the pandemic, Sir Patrick Vallance has said, directly contradicting the prime minister's evidence to the Covid inquiry.

In potentially damaging testimony, Vallance, the UK government's chief scientific adviser during the pandemic, said he would be very surprised" if Sunak, then chancellor, had not learned about objections to his plan to help the hospitality industry.