UK PM Rishi Sunak reportedly said 'just let people die', COVID probe panel finds

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has allegedly been quoted as saying the government should “just let people die” during the COVID-19 pandemic rather than impose a second national lockdown. It is due to run until the summer of 2026.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was quoted as saying the government should “just let people die” during the COVID-19 pandemic rather than impose a second national lockdown, the inquiry into how Britain handled the crisis heard on Monday.

Patrick Vallance, who was the government’s chief scientific adviser during Covid, made a note in his diary on October 25, 2020, about a meeting involving then Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Sunak, who was finance minister.

The journal entry presented to the investigation detailed how Vallance was informed by Dominic Cummings, Johnson's top advisor during the outbreak, on what he claimed to have heard at the meeting.

Vallance quoted Cummings in his diary as saying: “Rishi thinks just let people die and that’s okay. This all feels like a complete lack of leadership.” 

The investigation is looking into how the government handled the coronavirus epidemic that killed over 220,000 people in Britain and closed down significant portions of the economy. It is scheduled to continue until 2026's summer.

High ranking government officials have stated time and time again that the administration was not ready for the epidemic and that the response to the health emergency was hindered by a "toxic" and "macho" culture. Sunak faces a risk because, despite being one of the most senior ministers in that cabinet, the evidence presented before the investigation casts doubt on his attempt to portray himself as a counterbalance to Johnson's leadership.

Previous evidence has shown he was branded “Dr. Death” by one government scientific adviser over his “Eat Out to Help out” policy in the summer of 2020, which subsidised meals in pubs and restaurants but was criticised by health experts for spreading the virus.