Inside explosive civil servant texts SLATING Boris Johnson during Covid – as “bring your own booze” mandarin says sorry
BRITAIN’S top mandarin was scathing of Boris Johnson during Covid - privately warning he "cannot lead".
Explosive texts show Cabinet Secretary Simon Case moaning to colleagues: “Government isn’t actually that hard, but this guy is really making it impossible.”
The WhatsApps were released at today's Covid Inquiry grilling of Martin Reynolds, who organised the infamous “bring your own booze” bash.
The ex-No10 civil servant - dubbed “Party Marty” - said he was “deeply sorry” for the lockdown-busting gathering and the “distress” it caused grieving families.
Giving evidence, he admitted pre-pandemic planning was “grossly deficient” and laid bare chaos at the heart of Downing Street.
He said: “The machine was not properly prepared for the scale of the crisis we were about to face."
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Brutal exchanges show Mr Case venting to Dominic Cummings about being "at the end of my tether" about the then-PM's handling.
He lashed out after a meeting in which Mr Johnson supposedly demanded a “let it rip” strategy to deal with coronavirus because the UK is "pathetic" and “needs a cold shower”.
Mr Case - who is still in post - blasted: “He cannot lead and we cannot support him in leading with this approach. The team captain cannot change the call on the big plans every day… IT HAS TO STOP!”.
He also said the government had a "weak team" and singled out the then health and education secretaries, Matt Hancock and Gavin Williamson.
Top boffin Sir Patrick Vallance was also withering of Mr Johnson's "ridiculous flip-flopping", writing in his diary: "He is all over the place and completely inconsistent”.
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Another meeting in March 2020 also allegedly saw the Tory PM remark: "Why are we destroying the economy for people who are going to die anyway".
It ratchets up pressure on Mr Johnson before he appears as a witness at the inquiry.
Mr Case - already on the rack over several blunders - was due to give evidence but has gone on medical leave.
Today Mr Johnson's chief aide-turned-nemesis Dominic Cummings will appear, as well former top spin doctor Lee Cain.
Yesterday ex No10 Principal Private Secretary Mr Reynolds - who left Downing St in March 2022 - admitted turning on WhatsApp’s “disappearing messages” function in April 2021.
He said he could not “recall” why he had done this but insisted most of the contents would have been duplicated on emails.
The former aide also described the dysfunctional relationship between Mr Johnson and his then chief adviser Mr Cummings.
After the 2019 general election he said: “It was increasingly clear that the Prime Minister's and Dominic Cummings' agendas were not overlapping." And he also admitted there was "dysfunctionality, lack of discipline, chaos and a significant degree of misogyny" in No10 at the time.
