The Covid-19 Inquiry has issued a scathing assessment of Boris Johnson's management of the pandemic, which resulted in the loss of over 230,000 lives in the UK. The inquiry, the largest public investigation in British history, described the government's slow response to implementing restrictions as "inexcusable" and highlighted that this delay necessitated full lockdowns.

Baroness Heather Hallett, chair of the inquiry, stated that the culture within the government during the pandemic was "toxic," with rule-breaking not being addressed promptly. She noted that the actions of Johnson and his chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, contributed to a public perception that lockdown rules could be disregarded.

In her findings, Baroness Hallett remarked, "The Covid-19 virus spread around the world rapidly and caused untold misery and suffering. The number of deaths across the UK for which the virus was responsible is now over 230,000." She attributed this tragic loss of life to the government's delayed response and inadequate test and trace system.

The inquiry's 800-page report, the second from the Covid-19 Inquiry, scrutinised political decision-making throughout the pandemic. It concluded that the first lockdown, which began on 23 March 2020, might have been avoided had restrictions been implemented sooner. Baroness Hallett stated, "Had restrictions been introduced sooner - when the number of cases was lower - the mandatory lockdown from 23 March might have been shorter or not necessary at all."

The report indicated that if the government had acted with more urgency, approximately 23,000 fewer deaths could have occurred during the first wave of the virus. It also highlighted that Johnson did not chair the government's crisis coordination meetings until 2 March 2020, which contributed to the slow response.

Baroness Hallett pointed out that Johnson's optimism about the situation, combined with misleading assurances from government officials regarding pandemic preparedness, led to a failure to grasp the severity of the threat. The inquiry also noted that the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland shared in this misjudgment at the pandemic's onset.

The report further criticised the government's handling of the second wave in autumn 2020, stating that weak restrictions allowed the virus to spread rapidly in England, contrasting sharply with Scotland's swift implementation of stringent measures.

Baroness Hallett concluded that the lack of urgency and decisive action from all four UK governments during critical moments of the pandemic had devastating consequences for public health.