James Harrison

James Harrison is covering the UK's official Covid-19 inquiry for openDemocracy. He was previously a local democracy reporter in north-east England and assistant editor at the Sunderland Echo

Whitty told ministers: Stop discussing herd immunity – you don’t understand it

England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty also revealed his contempt for the so-called Great Barrington Declaration

By James Harrison

/ 22 Nov 2023

Whitty told ministers: Stop discussing herd immunity – you don’t understand it

Boris Johnson and team labelled feral, brutal and useless at Covid inquiry

More damning WhatsApps have described the chaos in Downing Street during the early stages of the pandemic

By James Harrison

/ 8 Nov 2023

Boris Johnson and team labelled feral, brutal and useless at Covid inquiry

Johnson’s government ‘acted like an opposition party’ as Covid approached

The Covid-19 inquiry has heard from the UK’s former top civil servant how the government should have acted sooner

By James Harrison

/ 8 Nov 2023

Johnson’s government ‘acted like an opposition party’ as Covid approached

UK was ‘at least a week late’ with first Covid lockdown, inquiry told

But the Department of Health official said at the time the decision was ‘completely rational’ given what was known

By James Harrison

/ 2 Nov 2023

UK was ‘at least a week late’ with first Covid lockdown, inquiry told

Ex-NHS chief refuses to say whether Matt Hancock lied during pandemic

When pushed, Simon Stevens told the Covid inquiry that the former health secretary was truthful ‘for the most part’

By James Harrison

/ 2 Nov 2023

Ex-NHS chief refuses to say whether Matt Hancock lied during pandemic

Lack of female perspective had ‘significant’ impact on Covid policies

Decisions on Covid measures did not properly consider domestic abuse, PPE, childcare or pregnancy, inquiry told

By James Harrison

/ 1 Nov 2023

Lack of female perspective had ‘significant’ impact on Covid policies

‘Hard to pick a day when Covid rules were followed’ in No.10, inquiry hears

Senior figures in Downing Street presided over a toxic ‘macho’ culture that sidelined women, Helen MacNamara says

By James Harrison

/ 1 Nov 2023

‘Hard to pick a day when Covid rules were followed’ in No.10, inquiry hears

Rishi Sunak called ‘Dr Death’ by government scientist after Eat Out to Help Out

WhatsApps and emails submitted to the Covid inquiry reveal tensions over government decisions

By James Harrison

/ 19 Oct 2023

Rishi Sunak called ‘Dr Death’ by government scientist after Eat Out to Help Out

Science committee chair cherry-picked Covid facts ‘like a West End review’

Tory MP Greg Clark has been accused of misrepresenting SAGE’s pandemic advice in latest Covid inquiry hearing

By James Harrison

/ 19 Oct 2023

Science committee chair cherry-picked Covid facts ‘like a West End review’

Early Covid pandemic saw Number 10 sharing data on ‘scraps of paper’

The Covid inquiry has heard how a low-tech data operation left Downing Street scrambling as lockdown was announced

By James Harrison

/ 10 Oct 2023

Early Covid pandemic saw Number 10 sharing data on ‘scraps of paper’

Downing Street pandemic infighting ‘far more difficult’ than Blair vs Brown

Simon Case asked cabinet secretary predecessor Gus O’Donnell for help managing warring factions, inquiry hears

By James Harrison

/ 10 Oct 2023

Downing Street pandemic infighting ‘far more difficult’ than Blair vs Brown

Ministers feared Covid would be ‘federalist Trojan horse’ for devolved nations

Boris Johnson worried that working with leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland could look like a ‘mini EU’

By James Harrison

/ 9 Oct 2023

Ministers feared Covid would be ‘federalist Trojan horse’ for devolved nations