Rishi Sunak defended his role in the Covid-19 response today after a Sage adviser reportedly accused him of being “responsible for the second wave.”
The Chancellor has been under fire for his apparent resistance to introducing stricter lockdown measures last year.
And research linked his flagship “Eat Out To Help Out” programme to an increase of Covid-19 cases of between 8 and 17 per cent.
Extracts of a book about the pandemic response published in the Times reported a Sage adviser blaming the Chancellor for his “one-eyed” approach - putting the nation’s finances above the risk to lives.
The source reportedly said: “I thought the chancellor was in charge. He was the main person who was responsible for the second wave.”
But confronted with the comment today, Mr Sunak claimed that "at all steps in this crisis we have indeed taken the advice of our scientific advisers".
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Bridget Phillipson said: “Does the Chancellor accept that his refusal to follow the science by pitting public health against the economy led to worse outcomes for both?"
But Mr Sunak said: "I'd urge (her) to be a little bit careful about what she reads in the newspaper.
“At all steps in this crisis we have indeed taken the advice of our scientific advisers.
"If we go back to September which I think she's referring to, at that time as she knows from the Sage minutes herself which are published rather than unsourced quotes in newspapers, that the evidence was finely balanced and there were many things for ministers to consider and the consideration at that point was that the tiered system was working and deserved to be given a chance."
The Mirror has previously reported evidence from Sage minutes which revealed a raft of advice given by experts was ignored by the Government, in favour of relaxing lockdown rules.
James Murray, Labour ’s Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury: “These reports expose shocking misjudgements by the Chancellor during the outbreak.
“Labour has been warning for months that his refusal to follow the science is a key reason why our people and our economy have been hit so much harder than many others.
“When he comes to Parliament today, he must explain his decisions over the last year so MPs can hold him to account.”
