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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Coronavirus: PM commits to future independent inquiry | Coronavirus: PM commits to future independent inquiry |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Boris Johnson has for the first time committed to an "independent inquiry" into the coronavirus pandemic. | Boris Johnson has for the first time committed to an "independent inquiry" into the coronavirus pandemic. |
| The prime minister said it was not right to devote "huge amounts of official time" to an inquiry when the UK is "in the middle" of a pandemic. | The prime minister said it was not right to devote "huge amounts of official time" to an inquiry when the UK is "in the middle" of a pandemic. |
| But he said the government would seek to learn lessons "in the future" and "certainly we will have an independent inquiry in to what happened". | But he said the government would seek to learn lessons "in the future" and "certainly we will have an independent inquiry in to what happened". |
| He was responding to a question from acting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey. | He was responding to a question from acting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey. |
| The prime minister has repeatedly rejected opposition calls for an inquiry into the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. | |
| At Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Ed said: "Under this PM we suffered one of the worst death rates in the world and Europe's worst death rate for health and care workers. | |
| "Previously he's refused my demand for an immediate independent inquiry, saying it's too soon, even though back in 2003 he voted for an independent inquiry into the Iraq war just months after that conflict had started. | |
| "If he still rejects an immediate inquiry, will he instead commit in principle to a future public inquiry?" | |
| The prime minister committed to an independent inquiry, but did not mention a public inquiry, which would involve public hearings and witnesses giving evidence under oath, in his reply. |