Damning Report Condemns No 10's 'Toxic and Macho' Culture
The official Covid-19 inquiry has delivered a blistering assessment of the government's core operations during the pandemic, concluding that Dominic Cummings 'poisoned the atmosphere' of Boris Johnson's Downing Street. The report from the inquiry's second module, which focuses on core UK decision-making, paints a picture of a chaotic and abrasive environment that was actively encouraged by the then Prime Minister.
A Destabilising Influence and a Reluctant Leader
The report states that Mr Cummings, serving as Mr Johnson's chief aide, 'strayed far from the proper role of a special adviser' by making key decisions that should have been reserved for the Prime Minister. Critically, the inquiry found this was 'an arrangement with which, it must be acknowledged, Mr Johnson was content.'
This dynamic created a 'culture of fear, mutual suspicion and distrust' that undermined the Prime Minister's authority and adversely affected the quality of advice and decision-making during a national crisis. The report notes that Johnson failed to exercise proper leadership or control over his adviser, only taking action when the pair fell out irreconcilably in November 2020, leading to Cummings' departure.
Johnson's Indecisive 'Oscillation' Hampered Virus Response
The inquiry is almost equally critical of Boris Johnson himself, portraying him as terminally indecisive. The report effectively endorses Cummings' famous characterisation of Johnson as a shopping trolley, stating that the PM's 'oscillation' made decisions slow and inconsistent.
While it was understandable that the Prime Minister wrestled with profound decisions, this tendency to change his mind continued throughout 2020 despite a growing understanding of the virus. A key example cited was in the autumn of 2020, when Johnson repeatedly changed his mind on introducing tougher restrictions and failed to make a timely decision on a 'circuit breaker' lockdown.
The report concludes that 'Mr Johnson’s oscillation enabled the virus to continue spreading at pace, and ultimately resulted in a four-week lockdown from 5 November 2020.' His approach, which intentionally fostered conflict, created an environment where the loudest voices prevailed and the views of other colleagues, particularly women, were often ignored.
Rule-Breaking and a Lack of Diversity Eroded Public Trust
The inquiry also highlighted how a lack of diversity and instances of rule-breaking damaged public confidence. It noted 'a lack of gender, racial and socio-economic diversity' among senior ministers and advisers at the heart of decision-making.
Furthermore, the report states that obvious flouting of rules, such as Dominic Cummings' infamous trip to Barnard Castle, 'undermined public confidence in decision-making'. It emphasised that those in leadership must follow the same rules they impose on the public and deal decisively with any alleged rule-breaking to maintain trust, a standard it found was not met on several occasions.
