Helen MacNamara, a former deputy cabinet secretary, has told the Covid inquiry that a "macho" culture in Downing Street harmed the UK's response to the Covid pandemic and affected decision-making during the crisis. She said that female experts were ignored, and women were "looked over".
MacNamara also accused Boris Johnson of failing to tackle "misogynistic language" used by Dominic Cummings, and she criticized the government's response in various areas, noting a "lack of care" for government staff and an "absence of humanity" in some aspects of the Covid response. MacNamara's testimony comes as part of the ongoing inquiry into the UK government's handling of the pandemic.