“I could have pointed out some of the reasons why community transmission was going to accelerate in London. Those views weren’t heard.”
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has given damning evidence to the Covid inquiry, saying that the exclusion of London’s representatives from early emergency meetings during the pandemic, led to additional lives being lost.
Khan accused Boris Johnson’s administration of ‘bad faith’, telling the inquiry that there was no one to stress how the spread of the virus was likely to be much quicker in major cities, with Cobra not being given vital information on how the virus was affecting poorer and minority ethnic communities.
He told the inquiry: “I could have pointed out some of the reasons why community transmission was going to accelerate in London. Those views weren’t heard.”
Khan also highlighted how those attending Cobra meetings would’ve represented very different constituencies compared to London and were therefore unable to understand how those from poorer and BAME backgrounds were more at risk from Covid.
The Mayor of London said: “One thing I reflect upon is the difference we could have made if we had been trusted earlier to be part of that process.
“How many around Cobra knew about issues around diversity, co-morbidity, intergenerational households, overcrowded accommodation?”
“How many around Cobra knew that in London there are more people who work in the gig economy, work in frontline jobs where they can catch this virus?
“The GLA [Greater London authority], the mayor of London, we weren’t around that table. I think lives could have been saved if we were [there] earlier.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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