-
PM’s former aide blames UK government for Covid ‘mixed messages’

The BBC reported, a former No 10 communications director has said that UK government communications are "failing in many of its most basic functions" and need to be overhauled.
The BBC said that Lee Cain - who worked for Boris Johnson from 2019 to 2020 - says inexperienced staff and "endemic" leaking damaged the government's Covid response.
This, he argues in a paper, led to the public receiving mixed messages "at a critical time".
According to the BBC, a UK government spokesperson said: "These claims are misleading".
They said in a statement: "

The BBC noted, Mr Cain previously worked on communications for the Vote Leave team during the Brexit referendum and as a special adviser at the Department for Food and Rural Affairs and the Foreign Office.
It added, he quit his Downing Street role in December 2020 amid reports of internal tensions.
Unlike his ally and former No 10 colleague Dominic Cummings, Mr Cain has been less vocal in his condemnation of how government is run since stepping down.
However, his paper for the Institute for Government is strongly critical of the way Whitehall handles media relations and its publicity campaigns.
Read more: Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan meets Afghan evacuees
He says the pandemic put the structure under "increasing pressure" and that the initial Covid campaigns were "poor" because staff did not have an "adequate understanding of strategic communications or campaigns".
While praising the efforts of many civil servants, he also accuses some press officers of being "afraid" to pick up the phone to journalists.
Responding to these claims, the government said it had "set out clear, targeted and effective communications to help the public protect themselves, directly preventing millions of infections and saving thousands of lives".
It said its Covid campaigns were "reaching an estimated 95% of adults on average 17 times per week at the peak, using every means possible including social media, influencers, radio, TV and widespread digital marketing".
Mr Cain proposes cutting the number of communications officers in Whitehall from 8,000 to 2,000, but also suggests improving the training available.
Specifically he says staff need to be trained so they can produce video clips, use social media and design graphics.
He noted that in the early days of the pandemic, "put starkly, there was nobody with the ability to create slides for the daily press conference" and that often the slides were only sent "moments before press conferences were due to begin".
Read more: Duke of Cambridge helps Afghan officer and his family flee Afghanistan
The daily press conferences were introduced at the start of the pandemic, and the government had planned to implement daily televised briefings covering all its business.
In April the plan was scrapped, but Mr Cain argues there is an "increased demand" for content and that "change is inevitable".
He says the PM should continue doing televised news briefings after the end of the pandemic in a bid to improve improve transparency and accountability.
Mr Cain also expresses concern about the "millions of pounds of public money" being "squandered annually".
He notes that in 2020/21, £600m was spent on 160 campaigns that have "little impact on the public and simply weren't needed".
Source: BBC
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!