- This piece was originally published at the start of December ahead of Boris Johnson's appearance before the Covid inquiry. For all our latest reporting on the inquiry, including on Johnson's evidence, click here.
In the middle of the night, Barbara Herbert’s phone buzzes by her bedside.
“I set my alarm for 2am,” she says, “and wake up thinking: ‘What the hell is that noise?’.”
By 3.30am Herbert, 66, is dressed and ready to leave. Bathed in darkness, she gets in her car and drives to the train station in the steel town of Port Talbot, south Wales. It’s three hours and 11 minutes before the train gets into London. Usually, she’ll read a magazine or answer emails – she tries not to fall back asleep. At around 7.15am, she arrives at Paddington station, picks up a newspaper and heads to her favourite cafe to get breakfast (an omelette).
