Dominic Cummings' WhatsApp messages about a former top civil servant were today brought before the Covid-19 inquiry.
Former deputy cabinet secretary Helen MacNamara faced scrutiny as she was met with questions during the Government's pandemic response on Wednesday (November 1). She commented on the atmosphere of discussion around the coronavirus in Boris Johnson's early 2020 meetings as "confident and macho".
It all follows a series of profane messages by Mr Cummings, Boris Johnson's chief aid until late 2020, being shared with the inquiry on Tuesday (October 31). He has replied, "I was not misogynistic".
Of Ms MacNamara, Mr Cummings wrote: "I don’t care how it's done but that woman must be out of our hair – we cannot keep dealing with this horrific meltdown of the British state while dodging stilettos from that c***." He added that he would "handcuff" and escort her from Downing Street.
Who is Helen MacNamara?
Helen MacNamara served as former deputy cabinet secretary between 2020 to 2021 during Johnson's premiership, but has since moved on to the private sector, working for the Premier League.
Whilst in the Cabinet Office, Ms MacNamara was the highest ranking female civil servant. She was generally responsible for the operation of Cabinet and managing the business of its committees as well as advising on propriety and ethics. She managed reshuffles and ministerial appointments and was responsible for the Honours Secretariat, the Privy Council Office, and independent offices.
However, Ms MacNamara really came into the public eye during the pandemic as she reportedly attended a karaoke bash in the Cabinet Office at a lockdown-breach party. She was subsequently fined by the Metropolitan Police and issued an apology for an "error of judgment".
During today's inquiry, she said "I absolutely thought it was important to have space to gather together and spend time together and that was because of the culture [staff] were working in.
"I was really worried about individuals breaking and suffering and whether they were going to be okay and I was saying none of that in excuse."
Why has she been in the spotlight recently?
Dominic Cummings and Helen MacNamara have made headlines over the WhatsApp messages.
Speaking today of Cummings' WhatsApp messages, she told the inquiry, "It's horrible to read, and both surprising and not surprising to me; I don’t know which is worse.
"He was frustrated with me at the time. I would absolutely own that. All I was doing was working in service of the prime minister and defending his interests.
"It wasn't a pleasant place to work."
In addition to messages in which Cummings made expletive-laden remarks, Ms MacNamara has been brought back to the UK spotlight amid the Covid-19 inquiry. It was set up to examine the UK’s response to and impact of the pandemic and which has also seen discussions about the Partygate scandal.
Sharing her thoughts on the Government's handling of the pandemic, she said, "At the time, I was concerned about what I saw as a circumnavigating of Cabinet governance and became increasingly worried about the Cabinet themselves not being given the full scientific picture or able to properly be part of accountable decision-making."Ms MacNamara also listed the systemic problems which she suggested impeded the Covid response, including a “general lack of knowledge” of state operations.
