Feeble excuse destroyed by civil servant’s admission

Sir Simon McDonald, the Permanent Under Secretary to the Foreign Office has destroyed whatever shreds remained of Matt Hancock’s and Boris Johnson’s credibility over their handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Tories had claimed that the UK did not take part in an EU scheme to obtain vital PPE (personal protective equipment) and ventilators when the opportunity was offered, because of ‘communication’ problems – even claiming that EU emails had been missed because they went to the ‘junk’ folder.

But McDonald has admitted when questioned by a parliamentary committee that the UK government was fully aware of ‘what was on offer’ – and made a ‘political decision’ to reject it:

Front-line NHS staff continue to be exposed to the virus daily because of shortages of PPE – the NHS has now completely run out of some types of vital protective wear.

More than 100 health workers have now died from the virus – while patients will also have become infected, according to health experts, while being treated by ‘asymptomatic’ staff without the recommended PPE.

Because of a Conservative ‘political decision’.

Johnson and Hancock owe their resignations to the families of those who have died unnecessarily and should face criminal proceedings.

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