Summary

  • Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson tells the Covid inquiry "we probably did go too far" with lockdown rules, "particularly for children"

  • "Looking back on it all, the whole lockdowns, the intricacy of the rules, the rule of six, the complexity... it was far too elaborate"

  • Johnson says closing schools - which happened for most children across the UK in March 2020 - was a "nightmare idea" and a "personal horror", but that it felt unavoidable at the time

  • He accepts that children paid a "huge price" to protect others in society

  • The algorithm that helped set exam grades in 2020 didn't work, he adds - this post explains how exams were graded that summer

  • When asked if reopening schools for one day in January 2021 was the worst of all worlds, Johnson says yes, adding it was a "really low moment"

  • It's Johnson's second time at the inquiry, which he launched in 2022 to put the government's actions "under a microscope"

Johnson thought closing schools was 'a nightmare idea'

Live Reporting

Edited by Rorey Bosotti and Alex Smith, with Vanessa Clarke, Branwen Jeffreys and Nabiha Ahmed at the inquiry

  1. 'Something had been stolen from me': Young people share how pandemic changed their lives

    Branwen Jeffreys, education editor and Erica Witherington

    Teenager wearing sunglasses, a jumper, and a student lanyard with badges pinned onto it smiles for camera

    Sam's dad died suddenly during the pandemic, when he was 12

    A report last month heard individual accounts from 600 people who were under 18 during the pandemic.

    Their experiences told of happy memories of time spent with family, as well as the impact of disruption to schools being moved online, social isolation and the loss of relatives.

    Wigan resident Sam was 12 during the first lockdowns and says he found it hard to understand the rules that prevented him from spending more time with his dad.

    He says his dad's death left him struggling with regrets that he had "lost a relationship" because of the isolation before his father's death.

    "I do feel deep down that something has been stolen from me," he says.

    The inquiry is also expected to hear about the experiences of children still living with long Covid, like Avalyn, now 16, who became ill with the virus in October 2021.

    "I enjoyed being in school, I enjoyed being social and seeing people, and then suddenly that was taken away from me very quickly," Avalyn says.

    You can read more about their experiences here.

  2. What do young people want to hear from Johnson today?

    Ahead of today's session, Nicky Campbell has been speaking to members of the public on BBC Radio's 5 Live - including Keira in Cornwall.

    The 21-year-old was working towards her GCSEs during the pandemic, and remembers it as an "isolating" and "very difficult" period without "almost any contact" with friends.

    Getting back into "the rhythm of being around people" was really hard for a while, she recalls.

    During today's session - which is due to begin shortly - she'd like to see the former prime minister take some accountability, particularly for young people like her who feel they were "left to our own devices with a very unsure future".

    Sign that says: NOTICE SCHOOL CLOSED FROM MONDAY 23 MARCH UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE CHILDCARE WILL WE PROVIDED FOR KEY WORKERS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN, YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED INDIVIDUALLY IF THIS APPLIES TO YOUR FAMILY PLEASE KEEP CHECKING THE WEBSITE FOR UPDATES AND FOR WORE FROM HOME PLEASE MAKE SURE WE HAVE YOUR LASTEST EMAIL/PHONE NUMBER (EMAIL US ON THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT AND PLEASE TAKE CAREGetty Images

    Schools across the UK, including this one in east London, closed to most pupils from 23 March 2020

  3. Journalists queue ahead of Johnson facing Covid inquiry for a second time

    Nabiha Ahmed
    Reporting from the inquiry

    Front of building with signage indicating entry for hearing

    A week on from former education secretary Gavin Williamson's grilling, I am back at Dorland House for the Covid inquiry.

    The building has significantly more bustle about it today than a week ago.

    About an hour before Boris Johnson was set to give evidence, the public had already begun lining up at security - he entered Dorland House, it seems, even earlier.

    Along with hopeful spectators, journalists are stationed in and around the building. His televised addresses during the pandemic were a staple, drawing millions of viewers as he announced updates on lockdowns and phased reopenings.

    I wonder if today might evoke similar feelings for people.

  4. Shut, open, and shut again: School closure key dates

    sign on an entrance gate indicates advice on coronavirus at schools at the temporarily closed primary school in EnglandGetty Images

    We've previously heard from the inquiry chair that school closures during the pandemic had a "severe and, for many, long-lasting" impact on children.

    Here's a refresher on what was going on in schools between 2020 and 2021:

    March 2020: First lockdown

    All four nations announce school closures from 23 March - except for the children of essential workers and those deemed most vulnerable.

    Summer 2020: Phased reopening

    Pupils are phased back into schools over the summer. Exams are cancelled, including GCSEs, A-levels, National 5s and Highers.

    September 2020: Back to school

    Pupils are back in school with measures including bubbles - only spending time with one small group of people - and social distancing.

    January 2021: Open and shut

    In England, many schools open on 4 January, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a third lockdown in England that same day. The next day, all schools and colleges close to most pupils with remote learning until February half term.

    February - March 2021: Return

    A phased reopening of schools across the nations begins in February and March.

    Summer 2021: Exams cancelled (again)

    For the second year in a row, exams are cancelled. Grades are decided by teachers based on a combination of mock exams, coursework and essays.

  5. What have we heard - so far - in this phase of the inquiry?

    Former education secretary Gavin WilliamsonPA Media

    Former education secretary Gavin Williamson - who was responsible for education in England - gave evidence last week at the Covid inquiry

    Module eight of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry - examining how the pandemic impacted children and young people - began on 29 September.

    Here's a quick rundown of some of the key pieces of testimony we've heard since then:

    Former Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said just a day of planning went into school closures during Covid. The focus had been on keeping schools open, he added, meaning there were no contingency plans in place. Williamson also said the closing of schools in January 2021 was "a panicked decision made without children's interests front and centre" - something Johnson has previously denied.

    Former permanent secretary Derek Baker said the Northern Ireland Department for Education was not "psychologically or practically prepared" for the first round of school closures.

    Ex-children's commissioner Baroness Anne Longfield suggested children should be given a formal apology by whoever is prime minister at the time of the inquiry's final report. She also said adults were prioritised over children throughout the pandemic as pubs, shops and theme parks reopened before schools.

    Meanwhile, Alison Morton, CEO of the Institute of Health Visiting, said a decision by the NHS to redeploy health visitors during the pandemic was "fundamentally flawed" - and "children were harmed" as a result.

  6. Watch: Johnson arrives early for today's session

    We're not due to see Boris Johnson in the inquiry hot seat until around 10:00 BST - but despite that, the former prime minister was spotted arriving at Dorland House just after 07:00.

    A sea of camera flashes can be seen snapping Johnson as he enters the building in Paddington, west London. Security guards and police officers watch on.

    Watch the moment below:

    Boris Johnson arrives at the Covid inquiry

  7. Five key takeaways from Johnson's last appearance at Covid inquiry

    This is not the first time Boris Johnson has given evidence to the Covid inquiry, having faced around ten hours of questioning back in December 2023.

    At that time, he admitted some mistakes were made but defended his overall approach.

    Here are five key takeaways from what he said then:

    • Johnson stressed throughout his testimony that ministers did their "level best" to respond to the virus
    • He became emotional when describing 2020 as a "tragic year", drawing on his own experience of being moved to intensive care after contracting Covid weeks after the first lockdown began
    • He apologised for the "pain and the loss" people experienced during the pandemic, to which he was interrupted by protesters. “The dead can't hear your apologies,” spelt placards of those in the room - who were then asked to leave
    • He denied No 10 had been a toxic place to work during the pandemic, and said bad-tempered exchanges between advisers showed "naturally self-critical" people anxious to do their best
    • The different messages in different parts of the UK - where there were different Covid rules in place - risked being "confusing" for the public, Johnson said

    Read more on what Boris Johnson had to say last time he gave evidence at the inquiry.

  8. What is the Covid inquiry?

    Signage which reads ‘UK Covid-19 inquiry’.

    The Covid inquiry was launched in June 2022 by former prime minister Boris Johnson, who will be in its hot seat today.

    The inquiry aims to unpick the decision-making by the then-UK government, as well as devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

    The first public hearings took place in London in June 2023. Subsequent hearings have been held in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

    Public inquiries are established and funded by the government and are led by an independent chair - for the Covid inquiry, Baroness Hallett has been at the helm. They can compel witnesses to give evidence.

    No-one is found guilty or innocent, but the inquiry publishes conclusions and recommendations, which the government is not obliged to accept.

  9. Boris Johnson set to give evidence at Covid inquiry for second time

    Boris Johnson on TV screen, speaking into a camera, live from Downing StreetGetty Images

    Boris Johnson announced schools were closing in March 2020 and January 2021

    We're at a critical phase in the Covid inquiry, which is currently examining the impact of the pandemic on children and young people.

    And giving evidence today is the most critical decision-makers at the time: Boris Johnson, the former prime minister.

    Schools were closed to all pupils except those of key workers and vulnerable children for two periods during 2020 and 2021 - the affects were "severe and, for many, long-lasting", inquiry chair Baroness Hallett said at the start of the module.

    Was it the right decision to close schools? What have been the long-term effects on children’s health and learning? These will be just some of the key questions Johnson will face today.

    His appearance follows that of then-education secretary, Gavin Williamson, who was highly critical of Johnson during his own hearing last week.

    It's likely to be a tense day at the inquiry, which gets going at 10:00 BST.

    We'll be streaming Johnson's testimony live on this page, as well as providing updates on key lines here - stay with us.