Johnson took four days off as NHS warned that Covid could 'overwhelm' system

Boris Johnson took four days off from official government business during an important period in the UK's Covid preparation when the NHS was bracing to be "overwhelmed" by the virus.

- Geraldine McKelvie Henry Dyer

Official disclosure for the period in February 2020 - described by the Covid inquiry as a "lost month" in the country's crisis response - reveals that Johnson enjoyed an extended break during the half-term holidays at Chevening, a governmental estate in Kent, where he spent time walking his dog and taking motorcycle rides.

The former prime minister was questioned on his activities from 14 to 24 February 2020 when he appeared at the inquiry in 2023. He said: "There wasn't a long holiday that I took. I was working throughout the period and the tempo did increase."

But official activity logs appear to undermine evidence that Johnson gave under oath. The files suggest that Johnson did not conduct any official government business on 15, 16, 17 and 21 February. Instead, he appears to have spent time walking his jack russell dog, Dilyn, in Chevening's 1,416 hectare (3,500 acre) grounds, riding a motorbike given to him by his now wife, Carrie, and hosting friends and family for lunches, dinners and overnight stays.

Entries in the 14 to 24 February logs make no reference to Johnson working on the Covid response, although he said he had discussed the virus on scheduled calls with world leaders.