Character matters. The Covid inquiry proves it

Mark Gilmore says the revelations of sexism, ego and a toxic culture in No. 10 are a reminder that Christians really should care about the character of their elected representatives. There’s a reason why our leaders are called “ministers”

Perhaps, like me, you have been waiting impatiently, wondering when a Covid Inquiry would take place. Or perhaps, rather than unpacking lessons from the tumultuous 16 months that affected us all so profoundly, you were keen to move on as quickly as possible. It’s not hard to understand why. We all knew we weren’t likely to enjoy what we would hear, and the revelations would probably open more than just a can of worms.

We are only now beginning to uncover the true state of decision making in this time. However much we may wish it were different, it’s not helpful to deny the evidence we are hearing. Our country was entirely unprepared for a deadly pandemic. The Government was ignorant about many parts of the state it was responsible for controlling. Our leaders pursued an ideological approach to an unknown threat. And the weight of decision making rested on far too few shoulders.