In the UK, Rishi Sunak has said the government gave too much power to scientists during Covid lockdowns and was not honest about the potential downsides. The Tory leadership contender and former chancellor said ministers were banned from talking about the “trade-offs” involved.

He also said it was “wrong to scare people” with posters showing Covid patients on ventilators. This isn’t the first time Rishi Sunak has expressed concerns about his own government’s handling of the pandemic. Early in the leadership campaign, he said he flew back from California when the Omicron variant was spreading rapidly in order to stop a Covid lockdown.

He went on further in denouncing the whole approach of the government he served in what he calls “the fear narrative”. And the implication is that it was he and not his Tory leadership rival who was asking the difficult questions about the scientific advice.