Summary

  • Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham says Covid decisions were too "London-centric", and led to the first lockdown being lifted "too early"

  • Burnham tells the Covid inquiry the decision meant Greater Manchester had higher cases for the rest of 2020

  • The mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, says there weren't official channels to raise issues, and he'd watch the news to find out about major announcements

  • Earlier, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was "kept in the dark" over the seriousness of Covid at the beginning of the pandemic

  • He said he was not invited to early emergency Cobra meetings, and felt "almost winded" when he finally attended one in mid-March 2020

  • Khan said "lives could have been saved" if he had been invited to key meetings earlier

Live Reporting

Edited by Jemma Crew and Fiona Nimoni

  1. Listen: What happened last week?

    BBC’s Covid Inquiry Podcast logo

    We’re now in week seven of the second phase of the UK Covid Inquiry - and a lot has happened.

    For anyone wanting a refresh, you can listen back to the BBC’s Covid Inquiry Podcast with health correspondent Jim Reed.

    In the latest episode, Reed looks back on last week, when chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty and the government’s chief scientific advisor Sir Patrick Vallance gave their evidence.

    There are 12 episodes in total, looking at anything and everything you may have missed over the last four months.

    All previous episodes of the podcast can be found here.

  2. Sadiq Khan arrives at Covid inquiry

    Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has just arrived at Dorland House, where the Covid inquiry is being held.

    Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has just arrived at Dorland House, where the Covid inquiry is being held.

    We've had a look at an extract of his evidence, published by the inquiry, in which Khan said he was "furious" at being excluded from key Covid meetings during the pandemic.

    Khan will be delivering evidence to the inquiry from 10:30 GMT this morning and you can watch live by clicking Play at the top of this page.

  3. On today’s agenda

    Alt Text: A group photograph of Andy Burnham, Tracy Brabin, Sadiq Khan and Steve RotheramPA Media

    Mayors Andy Burnham, Tracy Brabin, Sadiq Khan and Steve Rotheram. All bar Brabin are giving evidence to the inquiry today

    The first phase of the Covid Inquiry, which looked at how prepared the UK was for the pandemic, ended in June.

    We’re now seven weeks into the second phase of public hearings, which are looking at UK decision making and political governance during the pandemic, and several key political figures are giving evidence.

    Later this week, we’ll hear from four former Cabinet ministers - Michael Gove, Dominic Raab Sajid Javid and Matt Hancock. But before then, here’s who we’re seeing today - and when.

    From 10:30

    • Sadiq Khan, mayor of London
    • Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester

    From around 14:00

    • Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City Region

  4. Start of a huge week in the Covid inquiry

    Jemma Crew
    Live reporter

    Alt Text: The exterior of Dorland House. Credit: PAPA Media

    This is Dorland House, where the Covid inquiry is being held. We’re watching and waiting for Sadiq Khan to pull up outside for his hearing

    You join us at the start of another week of hearings for this second phase of the UK Covid inquiry.

    And it’s a blockbuster week.

    Michael Gove, Sajid Javid, Dominic Raab, Jenny Harries and former Health Secretary Matt Hancock are all giving evidence over the next five days, so there’s going to be lots of attention on Dorland House in London this week.

    But first we’ll hear from three powerful metro mayors. Sadiq Khan, Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram.

    Mayor of London Sadiq Khan will be up first today at 10:30 GMT, followed by Greater Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham, before we hear from the mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, this afternoon.

    We’ll be bringing you live updates throughout the day and you’ll be able to watch it all by clicking Play at the top of this page, so stay with us.