People died unnecessarily because of UK government failings during the coronavirus pandemic, Boris Johnson's former aide Dominic Cummings has told MPs.
Mr Cummings said he was sorry that ministers, officials and advisers had fallen "disastrously short" of the standards the public should expect in a crisis.
Mr Cummings was giving evidence to the Commons health and science committees with No 10 braced for explosive claims about prime minister Mr Johnson's handling of the pandemic.
The former adviser, who left Downing Street last year after a behind-the-scenes power struggle, told the MPs: "The truth is that senior ministers, senior officials, senior advisers like me fell disastrously short of the standards that the public has a right to