Re Boris Johnson’s testimony at the Covid inquiry (Covid inquiry: Johnson surprised ‘eat out to help out’ not cleared by scientists, 7 December), subsidising meals out in 2020 was an irresponsible policy decision. Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Matt Hancock used £850m of public money to increase the British public’s risk of exposure to Covid-19. They ignored the public health consequences of the “eat out to help out” policy to regain popular consensus – a modern version of the Roman emperors’ bread and circuses.
After months of the pandemic, the notion that the risk of exposure to Covid-19 increases if you spend a long time in crowded premises should have been clear to everyone. Failing to anticipate the consequences of the “eat out” policy is inexcusable gross negligence.
