Tory leadership race: Rishi Sunak slams government Covid lockdown response 

Tory leadership hopeful, Rishi Sunak has criticised the government’s response to Covid – suggesting independent scientific advisers were given too much authority. 

At the time of the pandemic, Rishi Sunak was the nation’s chancellor, he told Spectator magazine there had not been enough discussion about the negative side-effects of lockdowns. 

Sunak said he felt “emotional” when he argued to keep England’s schools open and that it had been “wrong” to scare people with campaign posters showing Covid patients on ventilators. 

His comments come as the Tory leadership race enters the final days with the results due on 5 September. 

By 5 September either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will replace Boris Johnson as Conservative leader and as prime minister. 

Both candidates are set to take part in hustings for the Tory party members in Norwich on Thursday evening.