One big lesson of the pandemic: spads are as important as the ministers they serve | Martin Kettle

As Boris Johnson’s response to Covid has shown, a poor adviser can lead to disastrous decision-making

When all this is over, which political insider’s book about Britain’s battles with the Covid pandemic will you actually want to read? My guess is that, for most people, the answer to that question is unlikely to be those by Boris Johnson, Matt Hancock, or Nicola Sturgeon, although all three would seem quite likely to offer us their accounts at various points in the future.

Instead it might be those penned by Chris Whitty, Sarah Gilbert, Simon Stevens and – given his quotability – Jonathan Van-Tam. Although many will groan at the thought, I’d also add Dominic Cummings to the list. In other words, the accounts from the centre of government that will inform and resonate will be those of the advisers and the experts.

Related: 2020 was the year Boris Johnson threw away public trust | James Johnson

Martin Kettle is a Guardian columnist

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