A Case Of The Existentials For Dr Death At The Covid Inquiry

At any other time, an appearance before the Covid inquiry might have been a bit of a nightmare for Rishi Sunak. But compared with facing down all factions of an increasingly feral Conservative party over what his own home secretary calls the "batshit" Rwanda policy, a day out in Paddington answering questions from the ultra-smooth Hugo Keith was like a spa treatment.

- John Crace

Hell, what was the worst that could happen? Who cares if everyone thinks you're an incompetent dweeb who wasn't that bothered if people lived or died? Right now, his priority was surviving in Downing Street until Christmas. Something that was by no means guaranteed.

There were a few heckles on his way in - so much more polite than the slavering Mark Francois on College Green - but Rish! could zone out the background noise.

He had far too much to remember.

Principally, he had to remember precisely what he had been briefed to forget. For it was to turn out that, like Boris Johnson before him, the lasting effect of the Covid pandemic had been near-total amnesia. Time and again, Rish! would scratch his head and look blank. It wasn't just the past that was another country. It was also the truth.