In Boris Johnson’s Lord of the Flies fraternity, women were there to be talked over or banished It’s little wonder that No 10’s misogyny had fatal consequences for the female population The Guardian - UK · Nov 5, 2023
Cummings vs MacNamara: the backstage clash at the heart of the UK’s Covid response Boris Johnson’s chief adviser and senior civil servant traded blows at the pandemic inquiry last week, describing horrifying levels of government chaos. The irony was how often their assessments agreed The Guardian - UK · Nov 5, 2023
How shutting women out of decision-making hampered UK Covid response Helen MacNamara painted a picture of a homogenous, unpleasant top table. Experts says this lack of diversity can matter beyond the workplace itself The Guardian - UK · Nov 3, 2023
Another truth from the Covid inquiry: women were being ignored over ill-fitting PPE long before the pandemic NHS England denied there was a problem with unisex equipment. But it was well known that most neither fits nor protects female healthcare workers, says feminist campaigner Caroline Criado Perez The Guardian - UK · Nov 3, 2023
Furious about the petty macho point-scoring of the Covid-era government? May I suggest this shouty Belgian feminist video Helen MacNamara’s quietly devastating evidence to the Covid inquiry reminded me how desperately we need more women channelling their anger into politics, says Emma Beddington The Guardian - UK · Nov 3, 2023
Macho posturing costs lives: another lesson from the Covid inquiry Even Helen MacNamara, one of the most powerful women in Whitehall, was brushed aside when she raised concerns, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff The Guardian - UK · Nov 3, 2023
Covid inquiry turns to the professionals for a masterclass in time-wasting Former NHS England boss Simon Stevens turns out to be just the warmup act for the main event, Christopher Wormald The Guardian - UK · Nov 2, 2023
Matt Hancock wanted to decide who should live and who should die during Covid – former NHS boss Dominic Cummings asked whether the true problem was him ‘calling Hancock “a lying c*** killing people’” or ‘Hancock actually being a lying c*** killing people’ The Independent UK · Nov 2, 2023
Hancock wanted to decide ‘who should live and who should die’ – former NHS boss Lord Simon Stevens, who led NHS England, largely refused to criticise the former health secretary during his appearance before the Covid inquiry. The Independent UK · Nov 2, 2023
Matt Hancock’s bizarre cricket response to being offered help during the pandemic It is the latest damning piece of evidence about Mr Hancock’s stewardship of the Department for Health during the pandemic given to the official Covid probe The Independent UK · Nov 2, 2023
Covid inquiry live: Hancock ‘wanted to decide who should live or die if NHS became overwhelmed’ Lord Simon Stevens says Cabinet ministers ‘avoided’ Cobra meetings chaired by then-health secretary The Independent UK · Nov 2, 2023
Dominic Cummings' outburst against female civil servant may put off women off politics Cabinet minister Michelle Donelan told of her concerns about the impact of Cummings' 'violent and misogynistic' messages Evening Standard · Nov 2, 2023
The Covid inquiry has exposed more than just a few bad apples – the whole system is rotten The state was completely unprepared for the pandemic – and the next crisis won’t wait for us to fix it, says Guardian columnist Martin Kettle The Guardian - UK · Nov 2, 2023
Covid inquiry: 'Macho' culture and 'obvious sexism' in No10 'damaged Covid response', says Helen MacNamara Ms MacNamara, the deputy cabinet secretary during the pandemic, says Boris Johnson let country down by not tackling 'toxic' culture Evening Standard · Nov 1, 2023
The Guardian - UK · Nov 1, 2023 So No 10 was run by donkeys who went to Oxbridge. My dog could have done better Helen MacNamara may reveal more soul than Boris and co during Covid, but she still thought the rules didn’t apply to her
The Independent UK · Nov 1, 2023 Lack of diversity in government led to domestic abuse deaths, official warned Helen MacNamara said officials lacked ‘real life’ perspectives on children at state schools.
Evening Standard · Nov 1, 2023 Who is Helen MacNamara? The former minister at the centre of misogyny claims during Covid inquiry Dominic Cummings' WhatsApp messages 'were both surprising and not surprising to me,' Helen MacNamara said
Evening Standard · Nov 1, 2023 Matt Hancock had ‘nuclear levels’ of overconfidence, says ex-civil servant Helen MacNamara, who served as deputy cabinet secretary, made the claim to the Covid inquiry
The Independent UK · Nov 1, 2023 Boris Johnson’s No 10 was toxic, sexist and devoid of humanity, says ex-top civil servant Helen MacNamara tells Covid inquiry of ‘macho’ culture where ‘hundreds’ broke rules on daily basis
The Guardian - UK · Nov 1, 2023 ‘Absence of humanity’: Helen MacNamara’s evidence to Covid inquiry Former deputy cabinet secretary describes misogyny, lack of planning and over-confidence in government’s pandemic response
The National (Scotland) · Nov 1, 2023 Ex-top official claims 'hundreds of civil servants' broke Covid rules HUNDREDS of civil servants and other ministers could have been fined for breaking lockdown rules, a former senior official has said.
The Independent UK · Nov 1, 2023 ‘Hundreds of officials and potentially ministers’ broke Covid rules – MacNamara Former deputy cabinet secretary Helen MacNamara told the Covid inquiry she profoundly regretted her ‘misjudgment’ in the partygate scandal.
The Independent UK · Nov 1, 2023 Matt Hancock’s bizarre ‘batsman’ response to being offered help during the pandemic It is the latest damning piece of evidence about Mr Hancock’s stewardship of the Department for Health during the pandemic given to the official Covid probe
The Independent UK · Nov 1, 2023 Johnson let country down by not tackling Cummings’ misogyny, says ex-official Helen MacNamara, who was one of the top female civil servants, said the messages were ‘violent and misogynistic’.
The Guardian - UK · Nov 1, 2023 Who were the key advisers in No 10 at the height of the Covid pandemic? The Covid inquiry is hearing about people in Downing Street during the pandemic who helped the government make decisions