room, theyjust wanted to stand outside and see him but will probably catch a glimpse of him very shortly. i think this was boris johnson's big moment, as he saw it, to set the record straight. it feels like we have been building up to this moment in the last two weeks. we've heard from scientists, civil servants, other politicians, political aides. servants, other politicians, politicalaides. it servants, other politicians, political aides. it feels like it was building up to this man, boris johnson, who ultimately made all the big decisions. questions to answer about lockdowns, about how decisions were made, the culture within downing street, i'm sure tomorrow we will get to the likes of partygate and some of the things that happened laterally into the pandemic. but i think the striking moment this morning was his apology, it had been trailed in the newspapers over the weekend that he would apologise, seek to set the record straight, he certainly did that, he saw two took personal responsibility and said there were things that he and the government got wrong —— he sought to take. there were people who had been bereaved, campaign groups, family members who had come down to be in the inquiry room at the time, they made their views quite clear in the inquiry room. the made their views quite clear in the inquiry room-— made their views quite clear in the inquiry room. the pain and the loss and the suffering... _ inquiry room. the pain and the loss and the suffering... please - inquiry room. the pain and the loss and the suffering... please stop. i and the suffering... please stop. please sit _ and the suffering... please stop. please sit down. _ and the suffering... please stop. please sit down. please - and the suffering... please stop. please sit down. please sit - and the suffering... please stop. please sit down. please sit downi and the suffering... please stop. i please sit down. please sit down or i'm afraid _ please sit down. please sit down or i'm afraid you — please sit down. please sit down or i'm afraid you will— please sit down. please sit down or i'm afraid you will have _ please sit down. please sit down or i'm afraid you will have to - please sit down. please sit down or i'm afraid you will have to leave - i'm afraid you will have to leave the hearing _ i'm afraid you will have to leave the hearing room. _ i'm afraid you will have to leave the hearing room. i'm- i'm afraid you will have to leave the hearing room. i'm sorry, i i'm afraid you will have to leave the hearing room. i'm sorry, ifi i'm afraid you will have to leave i the hearing room. i'm sorry, if you don't _ the hearing room. i'm sorry, if you don't sit _ the hearing room. i'm sorry, if you don't sit down, _ the hearing room. i'm sorry, if you don't sit down, i _ the hearing room. i'm sorry, if you don't sit down, i will— the hearing room. i'm sorry, if you don't sit down, i will ask— the hearing room. i'm sorry, if you don't sit down, i will ask the - don't sit down, i will ask the oceans — don't sit down, i will ask the oceans to— don't sit down, i will ask the oceans to get _ don't sit down, i will ask the oceans to get you _ don't sit down, i will ask the oceans to get you to - don't sit down, i will ask the oceans to get you to leave. i don't sit down, i will ask the - oceans to get you to leave. wright, a ship. _ oceans to get you to leave. wright, a ship. please _ oceans to get you to leave. wright, a ship. please ask— oceans to get you to leave. wright, a ship, please ask them _ oceans to get you to leave. wright, a ship, please ask them to - oceans to get you to leave. wright, a ship, please ask them to leave. l oceans to get you to leave. wright, i a ship, please ask them to leave. -- richt, a ship, please ask them to leave. right, oceans. those people left, a ship, please ask them to leave.= right, oceans. those people left, we spoke to them earlier. they were not particularly vociferous but they wanted to make their presence felt, it was quite unusual to hear baroness hallett quite so angry that the inquiry had been disrupted. she has been very careful through these hearings to make sure that we hear from politicians and all those making decisions, but we also hear from those who have lost loved ones during all of this. one of the issues borisjohnson was talking about earlier with herd immunity, this idea floated in the early part of the pandemic that one of the strategies for dealing with it is that the virus could be allowed to in essence go through the population, in effect we would all build up some immunity and eventually that would basically thwart the virus. it obviously did not work and it was something scientists discussed at the time, but borisjohnson was asked about that today. islur but boris johnson was asked about that toda . ., , . . , ., that today. our ob'ective was to rotect that today. our ob'ective was to protect the _ that today. our ob'ective was to protect the nhs — that today. our objective was to protect the nhs and _ that today. our objective was to protect the nhs and save - that today. our objective was to protect the nhs and save lives, | that today. our objective was to - protect the nhs and save lives, and to save _ protect the nhs and save lives, and to save lives by protecting the nhs. our strategy was to suppress the curve — our strategy was to suppress the curve and _ our strategy was to suppress the curve and to keep the r below one as much _ curve and to keep the r below one as much as— curve and to keep the r below one as much as we _ curve and to keep the r below one as much as we could. we did everything we could _ much as we could. we did everything we could to _ much as we could. we did everything we could to do that. we hoped that herd immunity would be a by—product of that— herd immunity would be a by—product of that campaign, which might be very long — of that campaign, which might be very long and very difficult. much ofthe very long and very difficult. much of the discussion _ very long and very difficult. much of the discussion this _ very long and very difficult. it’llcn of the discussion this morning very long and very difficult. ic"il.t"u of the discussion this morning this afternoon has been on the timing of things and how decisions were made based on what politicians and scientists knew at the time. boris johnson was asked about the first set of restrictions, you will remember there were certain restrictions on certain advice given about working from home and not mixing and social situations, then lockdown came on march the 23rd. he said the scientific advice had basically changed in the weeks running up to the lockdown so by the time he had to call it he was basically left with no choice. the scientific advice _ basically left with no choice. the scientific advice was starting to become — scientific advice was starting to become much more precautionary. and i become much more precautionary. and llhinkm _ become much more precautionary. and llhinkm i_ become much more precautionary. and i think... i sensed from what i was being _ i think... i sensed from what i was being told — i think... i sensed from what i was being told about the effectiveness of the _ being told about the effectiveness of the previous messages that we had to do more. _ of the previous messages that we had to do more, and looking at the shape of the _ to do more, and looking at the shape of the curves — to do more, and looking at the shape of the curves that i had seen i thought— of the curves that i had seen i thought that we had run out of wiqqle — thought that we had run out of wiggle room. thought that we had run out of wiggle room-— thought that we had run out of wiggle room. thought that we had run out of wit tle room. ., ,, , . wiggle room. one of the issues that we are not surprised _ wiggle room. one of the issues that we are not surprised to _ wiggle room. one of the issues that we are not surprised to hear- wiggle room. one of the issues that we are not surprised to hear about i we are not surprised to hear about was this idea of a toxic culture right at the centre of government, whether that be downing street and beyond, and how decisions have been made. there have been so many discussions over the last few weeks about unpleasant how at times some of these messages, private e—mails and text messages seemed to be within downing street. this particular issue of misogyny was picked up on this morning, boris johnson accepted there was a gender imbalance in his top team, there were not, frankly, enough women at the top table making decisions, and he was asked about this again this afternoon. ., ., .,, , . , afternoon. none of those things was tut to me afternoon. none of those things was put to me in — afternoon. none of those things was put to me in the _ afternoon. none of those things was put to me in the terms _ afternoon. none of those things was put to me in the terms you - afternoon. none of those things was put to me in the terms you just - afternoon. none of those things was put to me in the terms you just have done, _ put to me in the terms you just have done, first— put to me in the terms you just have done, first of— put to me in the terms you just have done, first of all. nobody came to me and _ done, first of all. nobody came to me and said people have got complexes and into the sign warfare is going _ complexes and into the sign warfare is going on— complexes and into the sign warfare is going on here. what i saw was a country— is going on here. what i saw was a country that — is going on here. what i saw was a country that needs to continuous and urgent _ country that needs to continuous and urgent action and needed solutions to he _ urgent action and needed solutions to be found. what i found were meetings — to be found. what i found were meetings in which people could speak their nfinds— meetings in which people could speak their minds without fear of being embarrassed or seen to say something foolish. _ embarrassed or seen to say something foolish. and _ embarrassed or seen to say something foolish, and that is one of the reasons, _ foolish, and that is one of the reasons, by the way, why i sometimes spoke _ reasons, by the way, why i sometimes spoke bluntly and freely in meetings, i wanted to give everybody cover to _ meetings, i wanted to give everybody cover to do _ meetings, i wanted to give everybody cover to do the same. i wanted people — cover to do the same. i wanted people to — cover to do the same. i wanted people to feel that if they had an idea, _ people to feel that if they had an idea, that — people to feel that if they had an idea, that i wanted to hear it. a idea, that i wanted to hear it. defence of the culture in downing street right at the centre of decision—making. i have talked a lot about the protesters here today, many from families who have lost people and also a number of protesters who are anti—vaccine protesters. but there are people here campaigning for those suffering from long covid. this number has come up time and time again over the last few weeks. the idea that boris johnson did not take seriously the issue of long covid. there is evidence now about a piece of written evidence that he had had advice from scientists in which he had written an expletive in the corner referring to his views on whether long covid was really something he needed to worry about. for the first time he apologised about that and accepted that long covid was certainly a big issue. the words i scribbled in the margins of submissions about it long covid have not been _ submissions about it long covid have not been publicised and doubt they have caused huge hurt and offence to people _ have caused huge hurt and offence to people who _ have caused huge hurt and offence to people who do indeed suffer from that syndrome, and i regret very much _ that syndrome, and i regret very much using _ that syndrome, and i regret very much using that language and i should — much using that language and i should have thought about the possibility of a future publication. right _ possibility of a future publication. right before the inquiry finished for the afternoon, borisjohnson was again defending matt hancock, his health secretary. matt hancock has had plenty of criticism over the last few weeks for his tendency, we are told, to overpromise and under deliver, that there were calls for him to be sacked by borisjohnson. borisjohnson he felt matt hancock had worked very hard, he was a good communicator, he felt there was no need to fire him as health secretary. we heard that shortly before the break this afternoon. other big market to draw to your attention was the idea that boris johnson felt he should have stopped mass gatherings earlier. there were quite famous pictures in early march of borisjohnson at a rugby match, england against wales, and then a week later there was the cheltenham racing festival which went ahead. that was something boris johnson that was something borisjohnson said in that was something boris johnson said in retrospect should not have happened, but the scientific advice at the time was mass gathering should have said john gone ahead. he said it was not necessarily that they spread the virus but they did not send a good message to the public that the government was taking covid very seriously. what it's worth bearing in mind as the words of baroness hallett, the chair of the inquiry, in which she had said there is no plan, this is certainly not the attention of the inquiry, to apportion personal playing in any of this. this is all about learning lessons for the future and structures of government, but you can see with the amount of medium protesters here that this is very much borisjohnson's reputation on trial. that will continue into tomorrow when he gets more evidence. earlier i spoke to two people who had been in the inquiry today, who had been in the inquiry today, who had lost loved ones during the pandemic. they have not been terribly impressed with what they heard. t terribly impressed with what they heard. . . . . terribly impressed with what they heard. . , , , ., heard. i had 'ust been listening to more heard. i had just been listening to more evidence _ heard. i had just been listening to more evidence given _ heard. i had just been listening to more evidence given that - heard. i had just been listening to more evidence given that he - heard. i had just been listening to i more evidence given that he classed people _ more evidence given that he classed people in— more evidence given that he classed people in care homes as bed blockers being _ people in care homes as bed blockers being taken— people in care homes as bed blockers being taken into hospital and being bed blockers, and anybody over the a -e bed blockers, and anybody over the age of _ bed blockers, and anybody over the age of 18 _ bed blockers, and anybody over the age of 18 has basically had their innings— age of 18 has basically had their innings and they had seen the best of life _ innings and they had seen the best of life and — innings and they had seen the best of life and should be gone on, more or less _ of life and should be gone on, more or less -- _ of life and should be gone on, more or less —— anybody over the age of 80. or less —— anybody over the age of 80~ i_ or less —— anybody over the age of 80~ ifeel— or less —— anybody over the age of 80. i feel totally let down, totally betrayed — 80. i feel totally let down, totally betrayed by himself and the rest of the government to think about partygate, things went on behind closed _ partygate, things went on behind closed doors in number ten, i think it is the _ closed doors in number ten, i think it is the tip— closed doors in number ten, i think it is the tip of the iceberg.— it is the tip of the iceberg. amos, ou have it is the tip of the iceberg. amos, you have come — it is the tip of the iceberg. amos, you have come from _ it is the tip of the iceberg. amos, you have come from manchesterl it is the tip of the iceberg. amos, - you have come from manchester today, anything you have heard that matthew were not impressed when we spoke this morning, has anything changed your view from listening to him? still and impressed as a good description _ still and impressed as a good description to— still and impressed as a good description to say— still and impressed as a good description to say the - still and impressed as a good description to say the least. i still and impressed as a good i description to say the least. he still and impressed as a good - description to say the least. he was trying _ description to say the least. he was trying to— description to say the least. he was trying to say— description to say the least. he was trying to say he _ description to say the least. he was trying to say he followed, _ description to say the least. he was trying to say he followed, and - description to say the least. he was trying to say he followed, and it - trying to say he followed, and it looked — trying to say he followed, and it looked like _ trying to say he followed, and it looked like he _ trying to say he followed, and it looked like he was _ trying to say he followed, and it looked like he was trying - trying to say he followed, and it looked like he was trying to - looked like he was trying to choreograph— looked like he was trying to choreograph his _ looked like he was trying to choreograph his evidence, i looked like he was trying to. choreograph his evidence, to looked like he was trying to - choreograph his evidence, to fit in with the _ choreograph his evidence, to fit in with the scientific _ choreograph his evidence, to fit in with the scientific evidence. - choreograph his evidence, to fit in with the scientific evidence. the i with the scientific evidence. the reality— with the scientific evidence. the reality is — with the scientific evidence. the reality is although _ with the scientific evidence. the reality is although he _ with the scientific evidence. the reality is although he says - with the scientific evidence. the reality is although he says he i with the scientific evidence. the i reality is although he says he was balancing — reality is although he says he was balancing all— reality is although he says he was balancing all these _ reality is although he says he was balancing all these factors - balancing all these factors together, _ balancing all these factors together, the _ balancing all these factors together, the only- balancing all these factors i together, the only comments balancing all these factors _ together, the only comments recorded and that— together, the only comments recorded and that people — together, the only comments recorded and that people talk _ together, the only comments recorded and that people talk about _ together, the only comments recorded and that people talk about are - together, the only comments recorded and that people talk about are these i and that people talk about are these incredibly— and that people talk about are these incredibly painful— and that people talk about are these incredibly painful and _ and that people talk about are these incredibly painful and traumatic - incredibly painful and traumatic comments. _ incredibly painful and traumatic comments, the _ incredibly painful and traumatic comments, the ones _ incredibly painful and traumatic comments, the ones like - incredibly painful and traumatic comments, the ones like lab. comments, the ones like lab research, _ comments, the ones like lab research, and _ comments, the ones like lab research, and people - comments, the ones like lab research, and people like . comments, the ones like lab| research, and people like my grandma, _ research, and people