Boris Johnson wanted to be injected with covid to show ‘it didn’t pose a threat’

Former prime minister Boris Johnson wanted to be injected with Covid on TV to show it did not pose a threat, the official inquiry was told (Aaron Chown/PA)

Boris Johnson considered injecting himself with covid-19 on TV to show it did not pose a threat – but later said he would rather “let the bodies pile high” than impose a second national lockdown, a senior aide told the inquiry into the pandemic.

There were also further details of the “toxic” culture at No 10, with the inquiry shown messages from Simon Case describing people working there as “mad” and “poisonous” as he prepared to become Cabinet Secretary.