Former health secretary Matt Hancock defended his record as he became the latest high-profile figure to give evidence to the official Covid-19 inquiry on Thursday.
Among the revelations, the ex Cabinet minister accused No 10 aide Dominic Cummings of creating a “culture of fear” in government that undermined the pandemic response.
Mr Hancock painted Boris Johnson’s ex-chief adviser as a “malign actor” who subjected his staff to abuse as they grappled with the emergence of Covid-19.
He told the inquiry that Mr Cummings sought to grab power from the then-prime minister while shutting out ministers from key meetings.