13 October 2023 , 11:40
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Civil service boss Simon Case appeared to joke that Carrie Johnson was "the real person in charge" during the pandemic according to WhatsApps handed to the Covid Inquiry.
A previously unpublished exchange between the Cabinet Secretary, Boris Johnson's then-spin chief Lee Cain and Dominic Cummings was shown on screen during today's hearing. The messages were featured as part of evidence from Mr Cummings, Mr Johnson's top aide turned nemesis, alongside an email from July 13 2020 complaining about the Cabinet Office.
The WhatsApps, understood to date from October 14, 2020, show Mr Case saying "not sure I can cope today" after being contacted by Matt [Hancock] to discuss "regional circuit breakers for the North". He adds: "I'm going to scream."
Mr Cain, who was No10 director of communications, replies: "Sigh. Wtf are we talking about." The top civil servant responded: "Whatever Carrie wants I guess."
Whatsapps shown by the Covid Inquiry between Simon Case, Lee Cain and Dominic CummingsAnother message from Mr Case shows him joking: "I was always told Dom [Cummings] was the secret PM. How wrong they are. I look forward to telling select cttee tomorrow 'oh f*** no, don't worry about Dom. The real person in charge is Carrie'. He appears to be referring to an evidence session with the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee in October 2020.
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He goes on: "This Govt doesn't have the credibility to be imposing stuff within only days of deciding not to. We look like a terrible, tragic joke. If we were going hard, that decision was needed weeks ago. I cannot cope with this."
The next message from Mr Cain shows a shopping trolley emoji. Mr Cummings described the-then PM to MPs in 2021 as “a shopping trolley smashing from one side of the aisle to the other”.
Mr Johnson imposed a second national lockdown in November 2020 after weeks of pressure over rising Covid deaths.
Both Mr Cain and Mr Cummings left Downing Street in November 2020 after losing a power struggle with Mr Johnson's then fiancee. Mrs Johnson, a former Tory adviser, has repeatedly denied claims she asserted undue influence over the running of No10 during the pandemic. Allies have previously branded criticism of her actions as sexist.
Former Cabinet Minister Nadine Dorries, a staunch Johnson ally, expressed fury at the messages and accused critics of trying to smear the ex-PM through his wife.
She tweeted: "I can tell you as a former health minister I absolutely know that the regional circuit breaker they are discussing and suggesting Carrie came up with was in fact formulated and approved in DHSC and was the invention of PHE at a national and regional level and had absolutely nothing to do with Carrie. She couldn’t possibly have known anything about it. Nasty misogynist bullies who have always tried to get to Boris through his wife, who speaks to no one ever, have fired up their campaign of hate once more."
A Government spokesperson said: "Throughout the pandemic the government acted to save lives and livelihoods, prevent the NHS being overwhelmed and deliver a world-leading vaccine rollout which protected the nation. We have always said there are lessons to be learnt from the pandemic and we are committed to learning from the Covid Inquiry’s findings which will play a key role in informing the government’s planning and preparations for the future."
Evidence from the Covid Inquiry is published online at the end of every hearing.