Cabinet Secretary Simon Case described Boris Johnson as a “distrusted figure” throughout the COVID pandemic and warned the general public have been unlikely to observe isolation guidelines set out by him, leaked messages have revealed.
Mr Case mentioned to then well being secretary Matt Hancock the general public wanted to be advised to isolate by “trusted local figures, not nationally distrusted figures like the PM“.
The revelation is the most recent from greater than 100,000 WhatsApp messages leaked to The Telegraph by journalist Isabel Oakeshott after she helped Mr Hancock write his e book, Pandemic Diaries.
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Mr Case was appointed to his place as cupboard secretary, the PM’s most senior coverage adviser, and head of the civil service by Mr Johnson in September 2020, a month earlier than the WhatsApp dialog with Mr Hancock on 30 October 2020.
The revelations have prompted calls from some senior Tories for Mr Case to step down and on Saturday Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was pressured to say he retained confidence in him.
In the dialog, Mr Hancock advised Mr Case he was going to “get stuck in and drive this roll out” and mentioned: “PM is completely right on this. Delegate delegate delegate.”
Mr Case replied: “Agree. My concern is that we can figure out how to test, what we don’t know how to do is get people to isolate.
“We are shedding this struggle due to behaviour – that is the factor now we have to show round (which most likely additionally depends on individuals listening to about isolation from trusted figures, not nationally distrusted figures just like the PM, sadly.”
Mr Hancock then mentioned: “Sure – but even with a massive rocket up them the lorries won’t roll until late next week – so we can fix the new isolation rules between now and then.”
In later messages between Mr Case and Mr Hancock, the pair joked about travellers having to isolate on return to the UK.
On 16 February 2021, simply after the UK launched resort quarantine for these getting back from particular international locations, Mr Case mentioned: “Any idea how many people we locked up in hotels yesterday?”
Mr Hancock mentioned: “None. But 149 chose to enter the country and are now in Quarantine Hotels due to their own free will!”
“Hilarious,” Mr Case responded.
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After it was revealed Mr Case dismissed issues about COVID guidelines as “pure Conservative ideology” he was accused of Left-wing bias by senior Tories.
In one other WhatsApp dialog, Mr Case described Mr Sunak, who was chancellor on the time, of “going bonkers” in a row over contact tracing.
He additionally mentioned Sir Alok Sharma, the then enterprise secretary, could be “mad” to oppose it.
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The cupboard secretary is already dealing with stress over his function over the appointment of Nadhim Zahawi, partygate, Mr Johnson’s No 10 ornament and bullying allegations towards Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab.
Mr Case has confronted questions over what he knew about Mr Zahawi’s tax affairs earlier than Mr Sunak appointed him as Conservative Party chairman. Mr Zahawi was pressured to step down after an investigation by HMRC.
And The Times reported Mr Case was personally knowledgeable of a written criticism towards Mr Raab months earlier than Mr Sunak appointed him.
Source: information.sky.com”