Today we look at the first report released by the Covid Inquiry. Focusing on pandemic preparations, it said the governments of the UK and devolved nations had ‘failed its citizens’ by planning for the wrong pandemic. The report lays out the failures, including ‘groupthink’ mentality and ‘labyrinthine’ systems. Adam is joined by health reporter Jim Reed and Catherine Haddon from the Institute for Government. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhere Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Chris Flynn with Gemma Roper and Sam McLaren. The technical producers were Hannah Montgomery and Gareth Jones. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The editor is Sam Bonham.
BBC sounds music radio podcasts in 2019, it was widely believed in the UK and abroad that the UK was not only properly prepared, but was one of the best prepared countries in the world to respond to a pandemic.
This report concludes that in reality, the UK was ill prepared for dealing with a catastrophic emergency, let alone the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic that actually struck.
Those are some of the opening words today from the first report from the UK's Covid inquiry.
Do you remember?
It started sitting ages ago.
We got all those hearings where big names were confronted by sweary WhatsApps that they sent each other in the heat of the moment.
Well, now, finally, in black and white, we've got some of the judgments by the inquiry and we got a statement as well on television at lunchtime from Baroness Hallett, who is the chair of the inquiry.
So rather than just seeing her sitting at her desk kind of raising an eyebrow now and then or telling a witness to get to the point, we got her first judgment, and this is her first judgment, because this is an interim report that's going to be followed by loads more for all the different bits of the inquiry.
So that is what we will zoom in on in this episode of.
Newscast, newscast, newscast from the BBC.
The exit poll is predicting a labour landslide.
We did it.
And before you know it, you have a bright future behind you.
I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence.
Joe, you did such a great job.
You answered every question.
Take me down to Downing street.
Let's go have a tour.
Blimey.
Hello, it's Adam in the newscast studio, and I've got such vivid memories of covering the pandemic on this podcast.