What Does the Lowdown Files Scandal Reveal About the British Government?

The UK, The Telegraph publishes an embarrassing case for the government: the “Lowckdown Files”. Revelations from 100,000 messages exchanged on Whatsapp by members of the British government at the start of the pandemic. In France, covid-skeptical circles quickly seized on this affair. These conversations show that the management of the health crisis in the United Kingdom has sometimes been motivated as much by political issues as by public health.

Finger-pointing decisions

In June 2020, while Boris Johnson is considering easing confinement, his communications advisers assure him that it is too early for public opinion. The British Prime Minister therefore ends up maintaining the restrictions because he thinks that it is the most acceptable solution with public opinion. “Conspiracy theories exaggerate reality because what emerges from all its messages is uncertainty. The government had strong reason to believe that this virus was very dangerous even if they did not know how bad it was. ‘was”testifies Joseph Stenberg, London correspondent for the wall street journal. These revelations also highlight the fact that the government has sometimes lacked firmness in protecting the British.