Lockdown scepticism and The Telegraph

In his written evidence to the Covid Inquiry, Boris Johnson noted a series of meetings he held in September 2020 with the editors and proprietors of several newspapers, including the editor of The Daily Telegraph. He implied that our questioning of lockdown was motivated by financial reasons, since working from home had affected sales. 

If that is indeed what he believes, Mr Johnson is sorely mistaken. The Telegraphremained profitable throughout the pandemic, and in fact saw healthy growth in subscriber numbers. Some new readers will have been attracted by our scepticism towards the restrictions, when much of the rest of the media refused to ask any questions at all. The Telegraphwas the only newspaper to raise concerns from the very start, querying whether a shutdown of society – with all the likely costs for, yes, the economy, but also mental health, education, cancer care and more – was really a proportionate response to the spread of Covid-19. 

Any rational examination of the impact of lockdown today would show that the sceptics are being vindicated. But still the debate persists in branding those who criticised the lockdowns as selfish, or as prioritising money over health. Such attitudes may confront Rishi Sunak when he appears before the inquiry next week, given the evidence of his own scepticism towards some of the lockdown restrictions.

The Prime Minister should have the courage of his convictions. History is likely to show that he was on the right side of the lockdown debate. Whether the Covid Inquiry agrees is another matter.