WhatsApps show top Covid scientist's chilling two-word nickname for Rishi Sunak
FamIlIes of Covid victims have blasted Rishi Sunak after learning how his own adviser dubbed him “Dr Death” in the pandemic.
The PM was branded “callous and reckless” for launching Eat Out to Help Out in August 2020.
Naomi Fulop, whose mum died of Covid in 2021, added: “It contributed to the loss of thousands of lives.”
The Chief Scientific Adviser branded Rishi Sunak "Dr Death" the month after he launched his Eat Out to Help Out (EOTHO) scheme, which was blamed for a surge in Covid cases.
The Covid Inquiry was shown a WhatsApp exchange from 20th September 2020, in which Dame Angela McLean called the now-PM "Dr Death the Chancellor". Mr Sunak launched his scheme, which allowed people to visit restaurants at discounted prices, in August 2020 when he was then Chancellor.
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The WhatsApp messages were shown as part of evidence from epidemiologist Professor John Edmunds, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Asked if he recalled whether Dame Angela was referring to EOTHO, Prof Edmunds said: "It was so long ago I don't know but it could well be."
The Covid Inquiry was shown a WhatsApp exchange from 20th September 2020Dame Angela, who at the time was Chief Scientific Adviser for the Ministry of Defence, was made the Government Chief Scientific Adviser in April this year. In the Whatspps, she also refers to another official involved in the pandemic planning as a “f***wit”. Asked about who she was referring to, Prof Edmunds said: "I'm pretty sure it's the next witness." The next witness to be called by the inquiry was Prof Carl Heneghan, a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).
The inquiry heard earlier this month that Mr Sunak's EOTHO scheme confused the public as it encouraged social mixing" in the coronavirus pandemic. The British Medical Association (BMA) said the UK Government failed to "provide clear, consistent and visible public health messaging" in 2020. The submission further added that his actions hindered the effectiveness of the advice being put out, which led to "misinformation."
Responding to the latest WhatsApp messages, Naomi Fulop, spokeswoman for Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK , said: “This inquiry has made clear that there was absolutely no consultation with the Government’s scientific advisors on Eat Out to Help Out, that it contributed to the loss of thousands of lives, put unnecessary pressure on the NHS and plunged the country into a brutal second lockdown.
"It’s unbearable to think that if it wasn’t for Rishi Sunak’s reckless, unscientific and callous approach, my Mum might still be with me. When our current Chief Scientific Advisor has referred to our Prime Minister as “Dr Death”, how can any of us have faith in our Government if another pandemic strikes?”
The PM's deputy spokeswoman said: “The PM has said himself it’s right we allow that (the Covid Inquiry) to continue so we won’t be responding to individual points."
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