Johnson rejects accusations of incompetence against the Corona committee. Cyclone hits mainland India – at least twelve dead

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted his own mistakes to the British Corona inquiry committee, but rejected accusations of incompetence.

The accompanying chat messages from his advisers and staff were due to the difficult circumstances in combating the pandemic, Johnson said in London on Wednesday. Many talented people would have given their best. Under stress they were often extremely critical of others. “We had to constantly challenge ourselves and constantly try to do better,” said the conservative politician.

The frequent use of swear words and derogatory comments about others in the chats is not unusual for government work, Johnson said. The debates under former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher were certainly “quite juicy”. But it was “creatively helpful” to be around people who doubted themselves and others. It would have been even worse if there had been only respectful people around him. At the same time, Johnson admitted that many statements were unacceptable. The ex-prime minister will be questioned for a total of two days until Thursday afternoon.

The public ‘Covid Inquiry’ is currently investigating whether Britain was adequately prepared for the pandemic. About 227,000 people died from Covid-19 in Britain, according to death certificates. Despite the smaller population, this is considerably more than in Germany. The committee, led by former judge Heather Hallett, can hear witnesses under oath and request documents, but cannot make judgments. (sda/dpa)

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