Covid Inquiry NI: Stormont’s shambolic politicking as people died led Chief Medical Officer to despair of ‘dysfunctional b******s’ in Executive

On the first day of the Covid Inquiry’s examination of Northern Ireland’s pandemic response, lawyers laid out some unflattering evidence.

Peter Wilcock KC for the bereaved families told Dame Heather Hallett’s inquiry it appeared that in March 2020 there were unionist and nationalist ministers who were basing decisions not on the facts, but on whether they were following London or Dublin, and whether they thought British or Irish scientific advice was superior.

He said the families of those who had lost loved ones had observed the “hurtful and premeditated decision” of senior Sinn Fein ministers to attend the funeral of IRA man Bobby Storey at a time when others “were being denied that basic and emotive right by Executive decisions they had been at the heart of making”.

He said the DUP’s decision to use its cross-community veto to block covid restrictions had also been similarly inappropriate.

The barrister said that in autumn 2020, Chief Medical Officer Michael McBride “used uncharacteristically coarse language” in a message to Health Minister Robin Swann.

Dr McBride wrote: “Dysfunctional b******s. How will we ever get through this with an enemy within? I have a good mind to walk off and leave them to it, as no doubt do you.

“But then those that really matter, those whom they seem to have forgotten they represent, are really depending on us.”

Mr Wilcock said Dr McBride “had been using the word ‘dysfunctional’ about members of the Executive since at least May 2020”.

Amid a political impasse in November 2020, Dr McBride said in another message: “Disgraceful. They should hang their heads in shame. How will history tell this story to the wife and two boys of a 49-year-old who said goodbye to their father on Facebook as he lay in the ICU for the sake of two weeks’ more effort?”

Mr Wilcock said that criticism applied to both the DUP and Sinn Féin.

Counsel for the inquiry, Clair Dobbin KC, said that Mr Swann, along with the SDLP’s Nichola Mallon and Alliance’s Naomi Long, suffered from not having any party colleagues in the Executive.

Ms Dobbin said that on 25 February 2020, Chris Stewart, a senior official in The Executive Office (TEO), said in a paper that Northern Ireland’s civil contingency arrangements hadn’t been reviewed “for over 20 years” and proposed a review to prepare for “an unforeseen emergency event or situation”.

His paper, Ms Dobbin said, “made only passing reference to Covid-19” and said that “wider society might not be prepared for, or have the capacity and capability to deal effectively with an emergency situation should a major contingency present”.

Four moths earlier, fellow official Bernie Rooney had told Mr Stewart that on handling a crisis “the overall position is dire”.

In the early weeks, Ms Dobbin said “there is very little sense in the communications of any urgency about the need to plan and respond within the Executive Committee”.

By 16 March, Ms Dobbin said that “even at this stage, the civil contingency arrangements in NI had not been stood up”, despite the Executive that day being told there were 45 covid cases. There were refences in a note of the meeting to “ministers not being shouted down”, as they turned on each other.

In a WhatsApp message, the Civil Service chief David Sterling said the meeting had been “excruciating” with “no leadership on display at all”.

Another senior official, Andrew McCormick, replied that Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill had the power to set up the emergency group.

The following day, Mr Sterling said in a message: “It should never be underestimated how difficult it was to get the simplest things agreed here. Even in a crisis, they’re keener on scoring points off each other than helping the citizen.”

Only on 18 March did TEO activate the crisis arrangements. The first person died the following day.

That day Mr Swann pleaded with the Executive to stop leaking, “but that plea was largely ignored”.

On 3 April, Ms O’Neill went on prime time TV to denounce the Health Minister, with Ms Dobbin asking whether that was fair if he was acting on expert advice.

Ms Dobbin said the Executive told the inquiry it “hasn’t been able to find” the notes of the Executive meeting after Ms O’Neill and Conor Murphy attended the Storey funeral.

By October, the situation was critical. Ms Dobbin said that “some ministers” were “querying the scientific basis for the advice”, as well as being concerned about the economic and health impact of restrictions.

Amid controversy about whether to extend restrictions by two weeks, the DUP’s Diane Dodds was recorded as telling the Executive that “ministers were not having an honest discussion” and “she was distraught with the tone”.

Notes of the meeting record Ms Dodds saying that “‘it was leaked last night; it’s leaked in live-time’… ‘you want to embarrass us’, ‘failure of leadership’…’only covid deaths matter to the SDLP; all deaths matter to me’.”

Dr McCormick said it was the most difficult Executive meeting he ever witnessed. The DUP deployed its veto to block more restrictions.

That veto was meant to protect unionism or nationalism but Dr McCormick said there was an “extreme incongruity” to the party using a measure to protect unionism or nationalism against a proposal from Robin Swann, another unionist minister.

The inquiry’s Belfast hearings will continue until 16 May.