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Chris Whitty’s Covid emails reveal response to Boris Johnson critics [1]
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Date: 2023-08
Emails have revealed how Chris Whitty tried to “navigate a very tricky path” during the pandemic, as he faced claims that he was professionally compromised by Boris Johnson.
In rare political comments from May 2020, England's chief medical officer admitted: "I am trying to navigate a very tricky path through multiple strong competing interests to make sure health goals (not just Covid-19) are central to government policy and the general public hear at least some of the public health messages, and the reasons for them, directly."
It followed controversy as Boris Johnson blocked Whitty from publicly commenting on the scandal over his adviser Dominic Cummings – who had travelled to Barnard Castle during lockdown.
In the emails, obtained by openDemocracy through a Freedom of Information request, Whitty rebuffed direct criticism from Richard Horton, the editor of The Lancet medical journal.
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Horton had described the government’s Covid response as “appalling”, telling Whitty: “The latest regarding [Cummings] is dragging you into a place you shouldn’t be.”
He added: “Why not disengage from these daily briefings and hold your own separately. The [chief medical officer]’s office is too important to allow it to be compromised in the way the prime minister did today.”
But Whitty responded to his email, saying: “You are in full righteous anger mode.”
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[1] Url:
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/chris-whitty-emails-boris-johnson-covid-pandemic/
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