- Title: Ex-aide's criticism of PM and govt dominates UK papers
- Date: 27th May 2021
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 27, 2021) (REUTERS) (MUTE) VARIOUS OF BRITISH NEWSPAPER HEADLINES ON MAY 27, 2021 VARIOUS OF FRONT PAGE OF THE SUN DEPICTING THE FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON, DOMINIC CUMMINGS, WITH HEADLINE READING (English): "DO YOU NEED A HINDSIGHT TEST, MR CUMMINGS?" FRONT PAGE OF THE GUARDIAN WITH HEADLINE READING (English): "TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DIED WHO DIDN'T NEED TO DIE." FRONT PAGE OF THE TIMES WITH HEADLINE READING (English): "CUMMINGS RAINS FIRE ON NO 10." FRONT PAGE OF THE FINANCIAL TIMES WITH HEADLINE READING (English): "CUMMINGS ACCUSES JOHNSON OF BEING 'UNFIT' TO LEAD THE COUNTRY." VARIOUS OF FRONT PAGE OF THE DAILY MAIL WITH HEADLINE READING (English): "CUMMINGS' TOXIC REVENGE: DOMSHELL." FRONT PAGE OF THE DAILY EXPRESS WITH HEADLINE READING (English): "YES, MISTAKES WERE MADE BUT THIS WAS PURE REVENGE" FRONT PAGE OF THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WITH HEADLINE READING (English): "CUMMINGS TAKES HIS REVENGE AS HE LAYS BLAME ON JOHNSON AND HANCOCK."
- Embargoed: 10th June 2021 10:17
- Keywords: Boris Johnson COVID-19 Dominic Cummings Downing Street Matt Hancock adviser coronavirus health minister lockdown pandemic papers prime minister
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Europe,Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001EEQN96V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Britain's newspapers were on Thursday (May 27) dominated by a series of stinging criticisms aimed at Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government by his former senior adviser.
Dominic Cummings appeared at a parliamentary committee session on Wednesday (May 26), taking particular aim at Johnson and his health minister, Matt Hancock, for their actions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Cummings said Johnson's inept handling of the situation led to tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths, and officials even feared he would ask to be injected with the virus on television to show it was benign.
With almost 128,000 deaths, the United Kingdom has the world's fifth highest official COVID-19 toll, far higher than the government's initial worst-case estimates of only 20,000.
During seven hours of explosive testimony to a parliamentary committee, Cummings told lawmakers Johnson was like a shopping cart that could not be guided, and that it was it was "crackers" that someone like him should be prime minister.
Cummings cast the state as woefully disorganized, dominated by "groupthink," and run by ministers such as Hancock who, he said, should be sacked for lying to the public and the government.
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