Matt Hancock, Dominic Cummings, Rishi Sunak, Patrick Vallance, Chris Whitty and, of course, Boris Johnson have all relived – and tried to justify – the decisions taken by government during the pandemic. So as the year draws to a close, The Expert Factor takes stock of progress in the Covid Inquiry and whether the questions being asked – and the answers being given – are helping to explain how Johnson’s No10 functioned during this crisis. What have we learned so far? Who has given a good account of themselves – and whose reputation has suffered even more damage? What questions should have been asked? And can we be confident that the machinery of government in this country – and the levers of power in the centre – will be better equipped to deal with the next pandemic?

On this week’s episode of The Expert Factor, the team take a deep dive into one of the most significant public inquiries – perhaps ever – to be held in this country.

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THE EXPERT FACTOR is the podcast for people who haven’t had enough of experts. Each week the directors of three leading and respected think tanks – Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Hannah White of the Institute for Government, and Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe – get together to discuss, debate and explain the big questions and themes that will shape the election – and the political landscape for years to come. Produced by Milo Hynes

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