A documentary has broadcast previously unseen footage of Mark Drakeford’s reaction to a meeting with Boris Johnson.
Evidence submitted to the Covid inquiry shows that the former prime minister showed an unwillingness to engage with the Welsh first minster and Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland because it would have looked as “though the UK were a kind of mini EU of four nations”.
He also said it was better that Michael Gove led discussions with them because he (Boris Johnson) “tended to be a particular target of nationalist ire”.
Throughout the pandemic, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were able to make their own decisions about the way to approach the growing crisis.
It led to different rules across the four nations. In a witness statement to the ongoing Covid inquiry, Johnson, however, said an “occasionally divergent four nation approach became a growing presentational problem”.
An extract of messages between Dominic Cummings and Boris Johnson are published in the evidence. One, from Mr Cummings to Mr Johnson, reads: “You need to chair daily meetings in the Cabinet room — not COBRA — on this from tomorrow. I’m going to tell the system this.” It continues. “NOT with the DAs on the fuckign [sic] phone all the time either so people cant tell you the truth”.
Johnson said at a meeting in March, 2020, how he told the leaders of the devolved administrations: “As far as possible, the Four Nations should try to stick together as one United Kingdom’.”
Footage has been leaked from a meeting in which Drakeford was heard off-camera airing his views on the PM.
“Dear me, he really, really is awful…”, he said at one point.
Watch the clip in full below:
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