London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 11, 2025

UK health secretary defends handling of Covid-19 pandemic amid accusations he lied about government’s response

UK health secretary defends handling of Covid-19 pandemic amid accusations he lied about government’s response

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock has rejected criticism levelled by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s former aide Dominic Cummings, denying that he lied about the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking before a parliamentary select committee hearing on Thursday, Hancock defended his actions throughout the pandemic, stating that the government only did “the best thing we could” based “on the information that we had to protect lives.”

“Despite local challenges, and I don’t deny at all there were challenges in individual areas, there was never a national shortage of PPE [personal protective equipment],” Hancock added, rejecting the suggestion that the government did not manage to secure the necessary supplies required to protect health workers fighting the virus.

In damning testimony delivered on May 26, Cummings claimed PM Johnson is “unfit for the job”, said Hancock should be fired for lying and argued that “tens of thousands of people died” due to the government’s failure to quickly and effectively respond to the pandemic.

During his seven-hour appearance before a parliamentary committee, Cummings, who had served as one of Johnson’s closest advisers, said the government “fell disastrously short of the standards that the public has a right to expect.”

While Hancock defended the UK government’s response to the pandemic during his remarks on Thursday, he did push blame onto the World Health Organization (WHO) for underestimating the risk of asymptomatic transmission. Addressing what he sees as the international body’s failures, Hancock said he regrets that he “didn’t overrule” the slow “scientific advice at the start”.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the UK, which has experienced three waves of the virus to date, has reported 4,528,446 confirmed cases and 127,854 deaths, according to data provided to the WHO as of June 10.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×