Ministers are blaming everyone apart from themselves – lawyer
Laura Foster
Health reporter at the UK Covid-19 inquiry
BBCCopyright: BBC
The lawyer representing Scottish families whose relatives
died during the pandemic has been speaking outside the inquiry this morning.
Aamer Anwar said the “Scottish Covid bereaved have grown tired of
watching minister after minister operate in a culture of impunity, a culture of
denial and blaming everyone apart from themselves.
“Today families wish to hear truth and accountability from
Nicola Sturgeon, former first minister as well as from the former deputy first minister John Swinney.”
Why did Jeremy Farrar resign from Sage ?
Farrar resigned from Sage in
October 2021. He said it was to spend more time on his day job running the
Wellcome medical charity.
But he warned that the Covid
crisis was “a long way from over.” He also highlighted the “huge pressure”
faced by Sage scientists to provide "vital evidence, and independent,
expert, transparent advice".
Farrar wrote in his book that he
had considered resigning from Sage in September 2020 because he disagreed with
government policies such as the Eat Out To Help Out scheme.
He also lamented the government’s
delay in introducing a further lockdown until November 2020.
What is Sage?
The Scientific Advisory Group for
Emergencies (Sage) provided scientific advice to the government during the
pandemic - they did not make decisions or set policy, but made
recommendations.
Members included the government’s
chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, England’s chief medical officer
Chris Whitty and several other eminent scientists who were top experts on
infectious diseases, public health and other areas.
The group advised on strategies
to prevent the spread of the disease and what restrictions to introduce.
Who is Jeremy Farrar?
EPACopyright: EPA
Sir Jeremy Farrar was a prominent
government scientific advisor during the pandemic and a vocal critic of the
government’s handling of the crisis. He now works as chief scientist at the
World Health Organisation.
During the pandemic, he was
director of the Wellcome medical charity and a member of the independent
Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) - more of that to come.
Farrar was one of the scientists
calling for a lockdown in March 2020 when coronavirus cases were rising in
Italy and France.
Later on he was scathing about
the government’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme, and he wrote in his memoir Spike:
The Virus vs The People that he felt in summer 2020 that not enough had been
done to plan for the winter.
Welcome
Jamie Whitehead
Live reporter
Good morning and welcome to our
continuing live coverage of the UK Covid inquiry.
We’re expecting to hear from a
key scientist today - Sir Jeremy Farrar. He was a member of Sage, the
government’s scientific group set up to advise the government.
Then we’ll hear from former first
minister Nicola Sturgeon, as well as former deputy first minister John Swinney.
Stay with us for the latest, and remember
you can watch the proceedings by clicking on the play button above.
Live Reporting
Edited by Nichola Rutherford
All times stated are UK
Ministers are blaming everyone apart from themselves – lawyer
Laura Foster
Health reporter at the UK Covid-19 inquiry
The lawyer representing Scottish families whose relatives died during the pandemic has been speaking outside the inquiry this morning.
Aamer Anwar said the “Scottish Covid bereaved have grown tired of watching minister after minister operate in a culture of impunity, a culture of denial and blaming everyone apart from themselves.
“Today families wish to hear truth and accountability from Nicola Sturgeon, former first minister as well as from the former deputy first minister John Swinney.”
Why did Jeremy Farrar resign from Sage ?
Farrar resigned from Sage in October 2021. He said it was to spend more time on his day job running the Wellcome medical charity.
But he warned that the Covid crisis was “a long way from over.” He also highlighted the “huge pressure” faced by Sage scientists to provide "vital evidence, and independent, expert, transparent advice".
Farrar wrote in his book that he had considered resigning from Sage in September 2020 because he disagreed with government policies such as the Eat Out To Help Out scheme.
He also lamented the government’s delay in introducing a further lockdown until November 2020.
What is Sage?
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) provided scientific advice to the government during the pandemic - they did not make decisions or set policy, but made recommendations.
Members included the government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty and several other eminent scientists who were top experts on infectious diseases, public health and other areas.
The group advised on strategies to prevent the spread of the disease and what restrictions to introduce.
Who is Jeremy Farrar?
Sir Jeremy Farrar was a prominent government scientific advisor during the pandemic and a vocal critic of the government’s handling of the crisis. He now works as chief scientist at the World Health Organisation.
During the pandemic, he was director of the Wellcome medical charity and a member of the independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) - more of that to come.
Farrar was one of the scientists calling for a lockdown in March 2020 when coronavirus cases were rising in Italy and France.
Later on he was scathing about the government’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme, and he wrote in his memoir Spike: The Virus vs The People that he felt in summer 2020 that not enough had been done to plan for the winter.
Welcome
Jamie Whitehead
Live reporter
Good morning and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the UK Covid inquiry.
We’re expecting to hear from a key scientist today - Sir Jeremy Farrar. He was a member of Sage, the government’s scientific group set up to advise the government.
Then we’ll hear from former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, as well as former deputy first minister John Swinney.
Stay with us for the latest, and remember you can watch the proceedings by clicking on the play button above.