In potentially damaging testimony, Vallance, who was the UK government's chief scientific adviser during the pandemic, said he would be "very surprised" if Sunak, the then chancellor, had not learned about objections to his plan to help the hospitality industry.
Sunak had written to the inquiry saying he did not recall any concerns about the scheme being raised in ministerial meetings despite growing worries that it could fuel the spread of the virus.
An extract from Vallance's contemporaneous diary, in July 2020, provided evidence that Sunak had also sought to push back against the scientists' advice. In one economics-based meeting, Sunak said: "It's all about handling the scientists, not handling the virus," according to the diary entry.
This story is from the November 21, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the November 21, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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