Boris Johnson's former chief advisor Dominic Cummings has again accused the British Prime Minister of serious omissions in the Corona crisis.
In an interview with the British broadcaster BBC, Cummings reported that Johnson had defended himself against a second lockdown last autumn with the argument that most of the fatalities were over 80 years old.
According to Cummings, Johnson also wanted to stick to his meetings with the Queen at the beginning of the pandemic - despite the risk to her.
In the interview, which was scheduled to air in full on Tuesday evening, Cummings accused his former boss of "putting his own political interests above people's lives".
He described Johnson's stance at the time as, "It's terrible, but the people who die are basically all over 80 and we can't destroy the economy just because people die over 80."
According to Cummings, Johnson had also downplayed the impact of the corona crisis on the state-funded health service NHS.
"I no longer believe all this stuff that the health system is overloaded," he quoted the prime minister as saying.
In the BBC interview, Cummings also claimed that at the start of the pandemic in March 2020, he had to convince Johnson not to continue seeing Queen Elizabeth II in person every week as usual.
Five days before the first lockdown, Johnson wanted to visit the then almost 94-year-old monarch again, although his government had advised against any contact with the elderly, reported Cummings.
The prime minister only changed his mind when he warned him that he could infect the Queen with the corona virus and then she could die.
Cummings partly quoted from WhatsApp messages from his former boss, and partly referred to statements that others had also heard.
He told the BBC that UK MPs should insist on an investigation.
"Many, many people will under oath in the public inquiry - should it ever take place - say what I said today," he affirmed in the interview.
Downing Street denied the allegations.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Prime Minister has taken the "necessary measures to protect lives and livelihoods" on the basis of the best scientific advice, said the Prime Minister's office in an initial reaction.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on Cummings' statements, according to the BBC.
The 49-year-old was controversial because of his sometimes unscrupulous methods as the prime minister's chief advisor.
At the end of 2020, he had to vacate his post after a power struggle in Johnson's top team.
In the meantime he has developed into Johnson's intimate enemy and comes up with new and harsh accusations against the prime minister and other members of the government.
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