UK PM was reluctant to tighten COVID restrictions thinking people dying were 'all over 80', ex-aide claims
July 20, 2021, 6:38 am

UK PM was reluctant to tighten COVID restrictions thinking people dying were 'all over 80', ex-aide claims

Boris johnson

According to the Republic World, Dominic Cummings, the ex-aide of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has claimed that British PM Boris Johnson was reluctant to tighten the COVID-19 restrictions as the cases surged last autumn because he thought the people dying from the disease were 'essentially all over 80'.

The Republic World said, in the first television interview after he left the job last year amid the pandemic, Cummings told BBC that Johnson had denied that the National Health Service would be overwhelmed.

The UK PM told the ex-aide in a message, “I no longer buy all this NHS overwhelmed stuff. Folks, I think we may need to recalibrate.”

Since levaing the office last year, Cummings has emerged as a staunch critic of the Boris Johnson-led government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The former political adviser has also accused the British government of being responsible for scores of avoidable deaths due to COVID-19 and has also shared a series of messages from October that are allegedly from Johnson to his aides.

In one of the messages, Cummings claimed that the UK PM joked that the elderly in the country could 'get COVID and live longer' because most of the people who succumbed to the disease were past the average age of life expectancy.

According the the BBC, Cummings further claimed that in the early days of the pandemic, Johnson was willing to keep his weekly face-to-face meetings with UK’s Queen Elizabeth II going even though the ex-aide had warned his then-boss that she might lose her life to COVID-19.

Cummings told the media outlet that Johnson told the officials that he should never have agreed to the first COVID-19 lockdown and that he had to convince the British leader not to take risks with the monarch.

"I said, what are you doing, and he said, I'm going to see the Queen and I said, what on earth are you talking about? Of course, you can't go and see the queen," Cummings said he told Johnson. "And he said, he basically just hadn't thought it through."

The Republic World added, in response to the series of claims that Cummings made to BBC, Downing Street said that UK Prime Minister had taken 'necessary action to protect lives and livelihoods, guided by the best scientific advice' throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Number 10 spokesperson reportedly added that Johnson’s Conservative government had prevented the country’s NHS 'from being overwhelmed through three national lockdowns'.

Source: republicworld
Image source: Pixabay/AP-republicworld

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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.