Covid inquiry: Drakeford likens Johnson to absent football manager

During a Covid inquiry, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford compared former Prime Minister Boris Johnson's pandemic leadership to that of an "absent" football manager.

Drakeford criticized Johnson for downplaying the virus's seriousness early on and indicated that Johnson's lack of presence at critical meetings weakened the government's response.

Evidence presented on the second to last day of the inquiry's Welsh hearings in Cardiff involved Drakeford's whole-day testimony. He pointed out Michael Gove's isolation as a senior minister likening him to a "centre forward without a team," due to Johnson's absence.

Drakeford expressed his disappointment over Johnson not chairing early Cobra emergency meetings, suggesting such involvement would've underscored the situation’s gravity.

He dismissed claims that his own missed Cobra meetings reflected a nonchalant Welsh approach, explaining those were initially health-centric issues.

Highlighting communication issues, Drakeford recalled a press conference where Johnson vaguely implied UK-wide application of English lockdown rules, despite prior assurances to clarify the rules' national limitations. This action was characterized by Drakeford as deliberate and a "bleak moment."

Further confusion was revealed by Drakeford, referencing a message from then UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock to Gove that incorrectly stated public health wasn't devolved. This illustrated a concerning misunderstanding of legislative powers essential for managing the crisis, unresolved until days before the lockdown.

Drakeford recounted how early pandemic mass gatherings were permitted due to Boris Johnson's adviser, Dominic Cummings. Despite Drakeford's push for a unanimous decision against such events at a March Cobra meeting, they proceeded because "Dom says no."

He criticized the establishment of international travel lists in the summer of 2021 as "chaotic," due to rapid changes, and voiced his preference for UK-wide travel decision-making. However, Wales lacked practical authority in travel regulation, often deferring to UK government decisions.

Reflecting on the pandemic's impact on care homes, Drakeford acknowledged the difficulty in preventing virus spread due to the caretakers' essential access to the facilities.

He shared his regret over every life lost and admitted the testing scarcity limited protective measures. Dismissing the idea of a universal UK approach for future crises, Drakeford stated that decisions made from London weren't necessarily better for Wales but did advocate for improved coordination among the UK nations.

The Welsh section of the UK Covid Inquiry was set to wrap up the following day.