Boris Johnson ‘largely absent’ early in Covid crisis, Welsh leader tells inquiry

Mark Drakeford criticises UK ministers and says there is ‘plausible case’ Welsh government should have acted sooner

The Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, has launched a scathing attack on the UK government’s handling of the Covid crisis but admitted his own administration should have taken “more stringent action” sooner as the pandemic swept the world.

Appearing at the Welsh leg of the Covid inquiry, Drakeford likened Boris Johnson to an absent football manager at the start of the pandemic. He also claimed it was Johnson’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings who at one point blocked the banning of mass gatherings such as sporting events and concerts.