DAILY MAIL COMMENT: The Covid inquiry has become a circus trends now
In characteristically belligerent fashion, Dominic Cummings went on the attack at the Covid inquiry yesterday, spraying bullets in all directions.
Boris Johnson's former chief adviser's most concentrated fire was aimed at the civil service in general, and the Cabinet Office in particular.
Whitehall was a 'bombsite', dysfunctional, obstructive, leaky, rudderless, opaque, he said, adding: 'Senior people didn't know who was in charge of what.'
The Cabinet also came in for a fusillade. 'Not a place for serious discussion' was one of the milder accusations. Some of the others are not fit to print.
The ex-PM also took a broadside. Indecisive and basically unfit to deal with a crisis of this magnitude, was the verdict.
In characteristically belligerent fashion, Dominic Cummings went on the attack at the Covid inquiry yesterday, spraying bullets in all directions. He is pictured during the inquiry
Protestors hold pictures of coronavirus disease affected persons outside the Covid Inquiry in London yesterday
Let's not forget Mr Cummings (pictured leaving his home) egregiously broke lockdown rules with a jaunt to Barnard Castle. He may be right about the ineptitude of the Whitehall Blob, but he's hardly in a position to throw stones
So what did Mr Cummings himself do to combat the most serious health crisis in a century? While Mr Johnson was striving to lead the nation through Covid, his top aide undermined him with negative briefing, leaks and all manner of backstabbing.
This undoubtedly had a detrimental effect on Downing Street's response to the pandemic. And let's not forget Mr Cummings egregiously broke lockdown rules with a jaunt to Barnard Castle.
He may be right about the ineptitude of the Whitehall Blob, but he's hardly in a position to throw stones.
But what is the purpose of this circus of an inquiry? Smug lawyers with 20-20 hindsight excoriating the personalities involved may be fascinating theatre, but it's largely a sideshow.
Surely the key question should be: Did we lock down too much, rather than too little?
