London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

Boris Johnson offered to be injected with Covid-19 on live TV to show virus was nothing to fear, Dominic Cummings tells parliament

Boris Johnson offered to be injected with Covid-19 on live TV to show virus was nothing to fear, Dominic Cummings tells parliament

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested intentionally infecting himself with coronavirus in order to demonstrate that the disease was not a serious threat to the public, his former top aide, Dominic Cummings, has claimed.
Speaking before a Commons committee on Wednesday as part of an inquest into the government’s handling of the pandemic, Cummings said that senior officials were concerned about Johnson’s cavalier attitude in the early stages of the crisis.

The prime minister allegedly thought in February last year that the virus was a “scare story” and compared it to swine flu. As a way of reassuring the public, Johnson purportedly asked Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty to inject him with the virus “live on TV” so that “everyone realises it’s nothing to be frightened of,” Cummings told lawmakers.

The former aide said that, as a result, officials inside Number 10 believed that Johnson would not have been a constructive participant of the government’s emergency “Cobra” meetings had he chaired them.

Johnson’s inner circle has pushed back against the claim. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said in an interview that he had “never” heard Johson say that he wanted to be injected with the virus on live television.

Meanwhile, Labour leader Keir Starmer confronted Johnson during PMQs about Cummings’ claims, asking the prime minister if he would apologise for being “complacent” by downplaying the threat posed by Covid-19. Johnson responded by saying it was unfair to accuse the government of complacency and that it carried out its job while Labour “flip-flopped.”

Although the voluntary infection never occurred, the prime minister was diagnosed with Covid-19 in late March 2020, prompting him to quarantine in his residence. However, his condition worsened and in early April he was hospitalised and placed in intensive care.

While addressing parliament, Cummings also apologised to families who have lost loved ones during the pandemic, and said that senior ministers and officials “fell disastrously short” in their efforts to rein in the virus.

Downing Street has painted Cummings’ sensational claims as political revenge after leaving his position last year, a move believed to have been prompted by a row with Johnson’s partner Carrie Symonds.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
×