Novichok inquiry told of 'car crash' Gove meeting

Professor Dame Sally Davies said she had a "worrying" meeting with Michael Gove days after the Novichok poisoning

A former chief medical officer described a meeting with Michael Gove as a "car crash" as policies around decontamination were discussed days after the 2018 Novichok poisoning, an inquiry has heard.

Yulia and Sergei Skripal were targeted with the nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury.

At the inquiry into the subsequent death of local woman Dawn Sturgess, professor Dame Sally Davies spoke of a "worrying" meeting chaired by then-environment secretary Mr Gove who "clearly had not been briefed".

“If it was not so important it would be a farce," she said.

Ms Sturgess died in July 2018 after she was exposed to the chemical weapon in a discarded perfume bottle.

An email chain, shown to the inquiry into her death on Monday, was started when Dame Sally contacted then-cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood on 15 March, 2018, days after the Skripals were poisoned.

The email said that in a meeting Mr Gove "did not accept" that, "while the national role for decontamination is to give guidance and check plans, it is for the local authority, in partnership with local actors and Defra to implement and deliver".

“He repeatedly said he wanted a new system where there was an accountable national leader for him doing it all," it added.

Dame Sally went on to say Mr Gove’s team “handled it really well, explaining about using the system developed over time, that has been tried and tested, that local people can see, feel and relate to”.

Dawn Sturgess died after being exposed to Novichok in July 2018

She then said Mr Gove “refused to accept” this and the meeting “became a car crash”, adding “if it was not so important it would be a farce”.

His approach was "worrying", she added.

The email chain was later forwarded on by Sir Jeremy, who died in November 2018 after retiring on health grounds, to someone whose name has been redacted, with him adding: “A bit worrying…”

Sir Jeremy also replied to someone whose name is redacted, saying: “This man cannot be put in charge of anything…”

The inquiry continues.