DOWNING Street has refused to deny that Boris Johnson said "Covid is only killing 80-year-olds" as he dismissed pleas for a second coronavirus lockdown last year.
First reported by ITV's Robert Peston, the claim has been corroborated by other Westminster journalists. According to the Mirror, the Prime Minister, who almost died of Covid-19, added: "If I was 80 I wouldn't care, I'd be more worried about the economy".
The allegations are expected to be echoed by Dominic Cummings as he makes a much-anticipated appearance before MPs on the Commons Health and Social Care and Science and Technology Committees.
The former Downing Street adviser has been vocal in his condemnation of Johnson, Health Secretary Matt Hancock and others since leaving Government after a power struggle in November.
He is expected to say that the Prime Minister – who almost died of Covid-19 – resisted demands for a second lockdown last autumn, saying the disease “only” killed 80-year-olds.
According to ITV, Johnson added: "I'm going to be the Mayor of Jaws, like I should have been in March” – citing the reckless city official in the film who keeps the beach open despite the presence of a man-eating shark.
No 10 advisers reportedly feared the Prime Minister’s hatred of lockdowns would lead to him being labelled a “grandma killer”.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford tell PM to cut the bluster at Covid summit
Downing Street did not deny the Tory leader made the remarks. A spokesperson commented: "There is a huge task for this Government to get on with. We are entirely focused on recovering from the pandemic, moving through the road map and distributing vaccines while delivering on the public's priorities.
"Throughout this pandemic, the Government's priority has been to save lives, protect the NHS and support people's jobs and livelihoods across the United Kingdom."
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said the alleged comments were "utterly disgraceful".
Cummings has also hit out at various parts of the Government's response, despite being employed by No 10 for a large part of the pandemic.
He dubbed the policy at the UK's borders a "joke" and said: "The Covid plan was supposed to be 'world class' but turned out to be part disaster, part non-existent."
In his series of tweets earlier this week he slammed alleged "secrecy" in Government plans and said mass testing should have been developed much earlier.
And he was insistent herd immunity – to build up resistance in the population by allowing some spread of the disease – was the Government's original plan before ministers were told this would lead to "catastrophe".
No 10 also faced questions after a Sunday Times report suggested officials fear Cummings will use his appearance before MPs to accuse Johnson of missing key meetings on the crisis because he was working on a biography of Shakespeare, because he needed the money to fund his divorce from Marina Wheeler, his second wife.
Asked if the Prime Minister had spent time on the book, his official spokesman said: "No, not that I'm aware of."
The Prime Minister has been "ensuring the public are kept as protected as possible during this global pandemic", the spokesman added.
The relationship between Johnson and Cummings is thought to have soured after a briefing war over the so-called "chatty rat" leak of plans for a second lockdown.
No 10 accused the former adviser of a series of damaging leaks, including text message exchanges between Johnson and the entrepreneur Sir James Dyson.
But the claim led Cummings to post an incendiary blog post with a number of damaging allegations against the PM.
Cummings' evidence session takes place a day after the anniversary of his infamous press conference in No 10's rose garden, where he sought to justify breaking lockdown rules with a trip to County Durham and Barnard Castle in late March 2020.
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