THE Covid virus was “man-made”, Cabinet minister Michael Gove suggested yesterday — before he was told to “not go there” by pandemic inquiry lawyers.
He was slapped down by lead counsel Hugo Keith KC when he outlined there is a “significant body of judgment” backing claims the disease might have started in a laboratory.
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Mr Keith said it was a “divisive” issue that was not within the UK Covid Inquiry’s remit.
He told Mr Gove: “We’re not going to go there.”
The refusal to consider how the virus started is likely to increase criticism of the inquiry which could cost as much as £200million.
It has already been accused of fixating on ranting texts between No10 officials, while paying little attention to whether the harmful effects of lockdown were properly considered.
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Scientists are still questioning the origin of the virus that started in Wuhan, China.
Tory MP David Jones, an ex-Cabinet minister, said yesterday: “This Covid inquiry has a positive duty to uncover every aspect of the pandemic.”
Mr Gove also apologised to victims and bereaved families for the government’s “errors” during the pandemic.
He said: “I believe that we were too slow to lockdown initially.”