Helen MacNamara claims officials were ‘laughing at the Italians’ at start of pandemic
The latest update on the Covid inquiry highlights the concerning reflections shared by Lee Cain and Dominic Cummings regarding No 10.
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According to a former high-ranking government employee who testified to the Covid inquiry, ministers and officials appeared to find amusement in Italy's health system struggles during the beginning stages of the pandemic. Italy was significantly overwhelmed by the impact of Covid.
Helen McNamara, who used to be the second-in-command cabinet secretary and responsible for ensuring ethical behavior, is testifying about her responsibilities and activities within the government during the pandemic.
Dominic Cummings said sorry on Tuesday for the choice of words he used in several profanity-filled messages where he criticized individuals in the government. However, he defended himself against accusations of sexism in relation to a rant he made towards a female civil servant.
During the Covid inquiry on Tuesday, the ex-chief of staff of Boris Johnson was presented with a multitude of offensive WhatsApp messages in which he referred to his former associates as "ineffective and unintelligent oafs, imbeciles, and vulgar individuals" throughout the pandemic.
He said sorry for using language that could be seen as negative, but he still believes that many people share his opinion that the leaders in charge aren't handling this situation well.
During a press event, Mr. Cummings caused shock among attendees by reading a statement where he referred to former senior civil servant, Helen McNamara using a derogatory word, and also stated that he would forcefully remove her from Downing Street. However, he denied holding any negative beliefs towards women.
Downing Street Lacked Hand Sanitiser For 7 Months Due To Bureaucracy
According to Archie Mitchell, it took a frustratingly long time for the Cabinet Office to set up a hand sanitising station near the door that connects it to No10. The process was bogged down by excessive red tape, and ultimately took seven months.
According to Helen MacNamara's statement, there was a door with a pin pad that all Prime Minister employees had to constantly touch while passing through it.
She expressed that there was a lack of effort to acknowledge and establish the appropriate HR resources that a team such as this requires.
The ex-highest ranking government official expressed her astonishment at the length of time it took for the situation to improve and expressed her wish that people are currently receiving improved care.
She mentioned that the Cabinet Office is extremely skilled at establishing a type of impersonal administrative system that frustrates even those who are theoretically in positions of authority.
The neglect towards the staff was clearly displayed through the small yet impactful example of the inadequate hand sanitiser provided.
MacNamara Says There's No Magic Solution For Crises
Archie Mitchell reports that according to Helen MacNamara, there is no special solution for managing tough situations like Boris Johnson's life-threatening fight with Covid-19 amid the pandemic.
She said that it's true to state that there isn't a secret or special cabinet in the Cabinet Office that provides instructions on what to do in certain situations.
She stated: "It seemed as if I was working or residing in a world that resembled a dystopian nightmare, where as soon as one catastrophic event occurred, the next one was imminent."
"It was undoubtedly terrible that the prime minister was in such a critical condition."
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"'Laughing At Italians': Downing Street Officials" - MacNamara
Helen MacNamara stated that during the initial phase of the pandemic, officials and ministers in Downing Street were mocking the Italians. This piece of news was reported by Archie Mitchell.
At the start of 2020, the ex-chief administrative officer expressed her desire to support the people of Britain in taking measures to lessen the transmission of Covid. She aimed to help them in doing what is best and appropriate.
However, she held Downing Street responsible for her feelings of being “patronized” when she mentioned that individuals desired to comprehend the correct course of action. She attributed this to an excessive amount of faith in the administration's abilities.
During her testimony at the Covid inquiry, she expressed that if we simply inform people about what is right, kind, and appropriate, they are likely to comply.
Expressing admiration for something and laughing at others while doing so felt unpleasant, similar to how it sounds.
"MacNamara Claims Lack Of Humanity In No10"
According to Archie Mitchell's report, Helen MacNamara expressed that there was a deficiency in compassion within Downing Street, resulting in a failure to make a decision regarding prisoners during the pandemic.
The ex-chief civil servant expressed that there were consistent issues that resulted in significant problems while handling the government’s reaction to Covid. These problems were related to the system and its functioning.
Health Dept Aimed For Latest Lockdown
Helen MacNamara reported that Archie Mitchell stated the Department of Health aimed to delay the announcement of mandatory stay-at-home orders until the most current time possible.
According to her, the Cabinet Office officials have made a lot more progress than their counterparts in the health department.
According to her, the authorities were aware that they had not planned enough to implement a stay-at-home directive, and more time was necessary to complete the planning.
It is the 1st of November in the year 2023, and the time is currently 11:09 according to Matt Mathers' blog.
Helen MacNamara: ‘Britain Is Screwed’
According to a report by Archie Mitchell on the Covid inquiry, Helen MacNamara expressed to Dominic Cummings that Britain was in a disastrous state during the initial phases of the pandemic, using a strong expletive to convey her sentiment.
The ex-chief of the public service verified what Mr. Cummings said, that Ms. MacNamara became aware that there was not a "strategy" in place to handle Covid-19, following a discussion with another government agent.
As she entered the office of the prime minister, she expressed her opinion with explicit language, stating that she believes things are not going well.
In my opinion, the nation is on a path to a catastrophic event. It is my belief that we may unintentionally cause the deaths of numerous individuals.
On November 1st, 2023 at 11:00am, Matt Mathers wrote a blog post.
Boris Johnson Lacked Basic Covid Science Understanding, Says MacNamara
According to reports from Archie Mitchell, Helen MacNamara expressed that Boris Johnson lacked an understanding of the scientific aspects of the pandemic and was likely to make mistakes.
According to her, scientists had to repeat themselves when explaining fundamental aspects of the pandemic to him.
Matt Mathers posted a blog on November 1st, 2023 at 10:59.
Ex-top Official Says 'following Science' Was A Cop-out
According to Archie Mitchell's report, Helen MacNamara expressed her disappointment with the government's repeated use of "following the science" as a way to avoid taking responsibility for decisions made during the Covid pandemic.
According to the ex-deputy cabinet secretary, the government officials were not taking any actions and were simply deferring to scientific information and claiming "we're just following the science."
According to Ms MacNamara, the expression can act as a communication line, but there are numerous scientific inquiries related to it.
She shared with the Covid inquiry that she found the comment concerning in relation to religion.
She stated that it was the same as giving up responsibility to a non-elected group of individuals and making them responsible for everything, which was not just and proper for them. Moreover, it was unfair and incorrect in terms of the rightful ownership of these decisions.
Hancock's Covid Plans Exist, But Officials Unaware
According to Archie Mitchell, Helen MacNamara claimed that Matt Hancock repeatedly reassured government officials and employees that they have effective measures in place to handle the coronavirus outbreak during its initial stages.
The ex-high-ranking government official informed the Covid investigation that the plans were never acquired and she cannot fathom a situation where these blueprints actually existed.
Matt Mathers wrote a blog post on November 1, 2023 at 10:44.
MacNamara: Officials Don't Understand How People Live
Helen MacNamara has revealed that there has been a significant challenge due to the difference between how individuals are living their lives and the hypothetical concept of addressing their actions in the midst of the pandemic. Archie Mitchell has reported on this issue.
The ex-chief administrative officer stated that there had been a debate about whether it was safe to go to football matches in large groups during the early stages of the pandemic. Officials reasoned that it was a wise decision since spectators are situated in large stadiums and are often shouting on the ground.
However, according to her statement, "while at the pub, train station or in the concourse, you are in very close proximity to other individuals."
She stated that none of the individuals engaging in the conversation had experienced a football match in the typical manner of the general public.
Matt Mathers wrote this article on November 1st, 2023 at 10:39am.
