that is also true. they can t both be right. well. that is also true. they can t both be right. well, sometimes - that is also true. they can t both be right. well, sometimes you l that is also true. they can t both l be right. well, sometimes you can that is also true. they can t both - be right. well, sometimes you can do thins be right. well, sometimes you can do thin . s that be right. well, sometimes you can do things that you be right. well, sometimes you can do things that you think be right. well, sometimes you can do things that you think are things that you think are constitutionally a bit weird. if it will help constitutionally a bit weird. if it will help the general because of fighting will help the general because of fighting the pandemic. let me summarise, i think there is an issue summarise, i think there is an issue it summarise, i think there is an issue it is summarise, i think there is an issue. it is not a huge, huge issue. not as issue.
conference in which we were trying to dealwith. i had conference in which we were trying to deal with. i had to level with the public to deal with. i had to level with the public and say, i am afraid a large the public and say, i am afraid a large number of people will lose their large number of people will lose their loved ones before their time and it their loved ones before their time and it was their loved ones before their time and it was a pretty grim press conference. and in that discussion, we were conference. and in that discussion, we were asked about the way through. and i think. we were asked about the way through. and i think, patrick said the idea was to and i think, patrick said the idea was to flatten the curve, suppress the virus was to flatten the curve, suppress the virus with some measure of herd immunity the virus with some measure of herd immunity by the virus with some measure of herd immunity by september, would be a -ood immunity by sep
concerned about it. you have in fact already given evidence concerned about it. you have in fact already given evidence in concerned about it. you have in fact already given evidence in relation i to why you suggested at an earlier stage there were comparisons between swine flu and you have described the importance to you of not talking the economy down. the first line, he doesn t think anything can be done, may ijust ask doesn t think anything can be done, may i just ask you, this doesn t think anything can be done, may ijust ask you, this date the 3rd of march comes after your meeting with the civil contingency secretariat, after the cobra of which there is some early debate about measures and what can be done, and if you did say on the 3rd of march two mr cummings i don t think anything can be done, that casts a very significant light upon what you were being told around that time. i cannot say exactly what i said to my adviser, cannot say exactly what i said to my a
at the time. but we hear that the decisions he made, there is nothing he can say to you that can improve things. what would you like him to say? things. what would you like him to sa ? , ., , things. what would you like him to sa ? , . , ., things. what would you like him to sa? say? anything he has to say could have been said say? anything he has to say could have been said a say? anything he has to say could have been said a long say? anything he has to say could have been said a long time - say? anything he has to say could have been said a long time ago i say? anything he has to say could l have been said a long time ago that we are nearly four years since the beginning of the pandemic. it is continuing, people are continuing to die every week. i don t think he has got anything helpful to say at this point other than to tell the truth about why decisions were made and why failures happen in the kale that was at the heart of his government. do you think he can be
were having to do things that in future ought to be done by other departments or at the centre because it should have been a whole government response earlier. that is my reflection. and what about after the end of february when the cross government machine ramps up on the scale of the crisis is understood and steps have to be taken? to what extent had the department for health and social are got on top of promoting or suggesting the sort of countermeasures and infection control that ultimately were at the heart of the government response? from the end of february when the prime minister took the chair of cobra which was symbolically very important, when the chancellor of the duchy of lancaster got stuck in and you heard from him how he came to a cobra, was alarmed, asked some very good questions, followed that “p very good questions, followed that up with me and from. you might thinki up with me and from. you might think i was unhappy to receive that e mail on those questi