A recent investigation into the United Kingdom’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light a disturbing statement attributed to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as reported by the Times of India.

According to Patrick Vallance, the former chief scientific adviser to the government, Sunak, who was the finance minister at the time, allegedly made a shocking suggestion during a meeting with then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. It is reported that Sunak expressed the view that the government should “simply allow people to perish” rather than enforcing a second national lockdown.

Vallance documented the details of this meeting in his diary on October 25, 2020, which was presented as evidence during the inquiry on Monday.

The diary entries also captured how Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s chief adviser at the height of the pandemic, conveyed to Vallance the sentiments expressed during the meeting. This revelation adds a new dimension to the inquiry, shedding light on the internal discussions and decision-making processes during a critical period of the pandemic response.