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.
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.”