Boris Johnson’s principal private secretary during the Covid-19 pandemic has admitted to the inquiry he “should have focused a lot more of my energy on just tracking coronavirus” before it became prominent in the UK.
Martin Reynolds was shown an email dated February 8, 2020, which he was copied into, that referenced the Princess Diamond cruise ship which contained a number of British nationals, including one which had contracted the virus.
The witness said every piece of paper that is copied to the Prime Minister would have been sent to him too and that he was “confident” other private secretaries would have flagged any problems or important matters to him.
The counsel to the inquiry asked Mr Reynolds: “What could have been more important in terms of obligation on you to pick things up than being informed of the early part of a fatal viral epidemic?”
Mr Reynolds replied: “I think, in a sense, it misunderstands the nature of my role.
“The nature of my role is to manage the organisation of the operation around the Prime Minister and to ensure he’s getting a good service from the private secretaries in terms of being updated on what is going on being asked for decisions, being consulted on things.
“You’re right, that I could, and clearly with the benefit of hindsight should, have focused a lot of my energy on just tracking coronavirus, but that… isn’t the fundamental nature of the private office role.”