Rishi Sunak to face Covid-19 inquiry questioning – latest

Rishi Sunak will face questions at the Covid-19 inquiry on Monday as the probe into the government’s response to the pandemic continues.

The former prime minister, who was chancellor at the height of the pandemic, was branded “Dr Death” by health chiefs after his reported opposition to extreme lockdown measures, the inquiry previously heard.

He presided over the discounted dining Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which government scientists said was “highly likely” to have increased Covid infections and deaths. Giving evidence to the inquiry previously, Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, said it had “completely reversed” the government’s messaging that mixing was high-risk.

Mr Sunak defended the scheme, calling it a “micro-policy” within the government’s overall plans to reopen after lockdown.

He was also quoted as saying the government should “just let people die” during the pandemic rather than impose a second national lockdown.

On Monday, he is expected to answer further questions over his policies and reports of a “toxic” climate in Downing Street.

The inquiry will examine the government’s response to the pandemic, which shut large sections of the economy and killed more than 220,000 people in Britain. It is due to run until the summer of 2026.