This England (2022) s01e06 Episode Script
Episode 6
1
(tense music playing)
-(birds chirping)
-(music concludes)
(yawns)
-(Carrie) Morning.
-Oh, good morning.
-(knock on door)
-Come in.
(door opening)
Thank you, Robert.
Would you like breakfast in bed,
Prime Minister?
Oh, yes, please.
No full English, though.
-The doctor sent us a diet sheet.
-Good, good, fresh start.
New, lean, mean Boris.
Say goodbye to the, er, roly-poly,
hail-fellow,
well-met Boris of yesteryear.
I'll bring the juice and muesli.
-Good. Thank you.
-(door shutting)
Easter Sunday,
Christ rose from the dead.
What did he do on Monday?
Pootle around a bit
and help in the garden?
I don't know what Christ did,
but you're going to rest.
-(tense music playing)
-(Boris) Oh, God, here he comes.
-Go away. Go away.
-(puppy barking)
Why have we never trained
that bloody dog? (sighs)
(sirens wailing in the distance)
(indistinct chatter)
So, testing,
where are we at with that?
(Newton)
We are increasing capacity.
There have been
a few teething issues.
And we're currently at?
Currently around 18,000 a day.
And I heard there was
a problem with PHE testing?
We have a shortage of swabs
and there has been an issue
with the enzymes.
We reckon we're getting
around three percent errors.
Can I remind everyone
that we have a current target
of 100,000 tests per day
by the end of this month.
(Yvonne) We are aware of that,
though that wasn't
a target that we set.
That was your target.
-(knocks on door)
-Come in.
Prime Minister?
Ah! Pericles, the man himself,
would you, er
would you put it over there
please on the
-on the table by the desk?
-Yes, Prime Minister.
(Boris) He's my hero.
He died in the plague in Athens.
We we are
we are made of sterner stuff.
Is that good there, Prime Minister?
Very good. Thank you so much.
(Robert) Thank you, Prime Minister.
(minister)
And I'm very sorry to say
that 11,329 people have now died
from coronavirus.
Every one of them a tragedy.
(ambulance sirens wailing)
(NHS worker 1) Okay, we're here.
(NHS worker 2) Here we go, Andrea.
-(Becky) Okay, in here please.
-(NHS worker 1) Thanks, Becky.
(indistinct chatter)
(NHS worker 1) Just put you
by the bed now, okay?
(Becky) Hi, Andrea.
Hi, Andrea. It's Becky.
It's going to be all right, honey.
We're going to get you into our bed
now, monitoring, all right?
(Manny) Welcome back, Andrea.
You're back here in Northwick Park.
We're going to look after you now.
(Paul) Who made the decision
not to test the unsymptomatic
care workers?
We know from our tests
that they're a major cause
of hospital infections.
Well, presumably they
just aren't enough tests
-to allow that.
-(Paul sighs)
But why aren't they using
more of our labs?
Just setting up
brand-new lighthouse labs
is bound to be slow out
of the blocks.
Who makes these decisions?
And why are they not setting up
testing everywhere?
And why is the government ignoring
two Nobel Prize winners
in medicine?
Exactly.
-(staff member) Morning.
-Morning.
(music concludes)
Hello, Dom.
(Dominic) Hello.
Welcome back.
Thanks.
-It's delicious.
-Really?
I mean, do you do you really,
actually find muesli delicious?
-Yes.
-Baffling.
Don't do
your old fogie impression on me.
Youth of today.
(physiotherapist)
In through the nose.
(inhales)
(physiotherapist) Fill those lungs.
Out through the mouth.
(exhales)
(inhales, exhales)
(groans)
-Oh, God I feel like a geriatric.
-(physiotherapist chuckles)
We need to build your strength
gradually, just day by day.
And the harder you work,
the stronger you'll be.
Shall we see? What is he doing?
Daddy's busy. Come on.
(Dominic) The report describes
yet another well-publicised
incident in China
in which two researchers
conducting virus research
were exposed
to SARS coronavirus samples
that were incompletely inactivated.
We're almost halfway through April.
How close are we to meeting
your target on testing?
Yeah, we're just under,
erm, 20,000 a day.
(Dominic) Where were you
supposed to be by this point?
We're roughly on target.
Thanks, Dom.
Can you send me your projections,
so we can track
your progress daily?
The Department of Health
is sharing all their data,
-if you wish to check it.
-I do wish to check it.
I'd like to see
those projections daily, please.
We need some good news, all right?
We need to get something out there,
get something positive out there.
We're taking a lot of flack
on care homes.
-We need something to announce.
-(tense music playing)
(reporter) All around Britain,
people are out in the streets.
But inside the nursing homes
and care homes,
the situation is critical,
and it seems to be getting worse.
(Matt) Yeah, go on.
(Jamie) Er, Telegraph says
Care England fears as many
as 7,500 people
could have died after contracting
the disease in care homes.
(Matt) Shit.
Morning, all. Er, so, go on,
what is today's good news?
Gowns, we're going
to run out of gowns,
we need to change the guidelines
on when they're used.
We can't have doctors
using unsafe PPE.
(Jin) We don't have the supply.
The only solution
is to ration the demand.
How can we do that?
We could perhaps reduce
the number of specific situations
in which they need to be used
to try and dampen demand
without undermining safety.
A clarification rather than a ban.
I've had a change
of PPE guidance from PHE.
Oh, God. Let me guess, the gowns?
Well, we don't need them
apparently, just an apron.
Right. Well, yeah, I mean,
that makes sense, doesn't it?
Obviously, given that the virus
only attacks us from the front.
(NHS worker 1)
Sats are coming up to 80s.
Are you happy for cricoid off?
(Tom) Cricoid off.
Thank you. Okay.
Prime Minister,
the NHS saved your life.
Now, we need you to save ours.
Fucking hell.
We need personal
protective equipment now.
The situation around PPE
is becoming quite serious.
(Lee) Matt, we need something
to announce.
Yeah, but we have sourced, er,
400,000 gowns
from a supplier in Turkey.
Er, but we should wait for it
to arrive before we announce it.
Yeah, it's important
that we don't over-promise.
We are under-promising
and under-delivering.
There's a total lack of ambition.
It seems to me
the whole system is failing.
No one's in charge,
no one's responsible.
We need to get someone
in from outside
who can get things done.
Well, that was the philosophy
behind NHS Supply
in the first place.
Jim Spittel came from Tesco,
Jin Sohoto came from Technicolor,
and they implemented
a supermarket-style,
just-in-time system to save money.
You could argue
that's why we're struggling now.
Look, we we need our own version
of Beaverbrook
to come in and turn things around.
I've been thinking
about Paul Dayton.
He delivered the Olympics.
I'm sure he can deliver
on masks and gowns.
(jet engine whirring)
(Matt) Turkey, where are we at?
We've got three planes
on the tarmac
at RAF Bryce Norton ready to go.
Okay, great.
The one problem is we're still
struggling with the export permit
from the Turkish government.
Today I can announce
that we'll be taking
a large delivery
of PPE from Turkey tomorrow.
Matt specifically said
not to announce
the Turkey shipment.
But we're trying
to cover your backs.
Get something positive out there
for them to talk about.
And by the way, you can tell Matt,
Boris spoke to Paul Dayton
and he said yes.
We're going to announce tomorrow.
Dom wants us to fuck up so he can
tell everyone how crap we are.
He wants everyone
to be crap except him.
Look, maybe we get Dayton
to, er, own Turkey.
I mean, he's the new tsar.
Yeah,
I don't think he's that stupid.
Make sure you tell everyone
it was Downing Street
that briefed out Turkey and not us.
Yeah, I've done. I've seen a bit.
(clears throat)
(reporter) The government
has appointed the 2012
Olympics chief executive,
Lord Dayton, as PPE tsar.
Er, right. Oh, er, yeah.
Right. Hang on. There we go.
I think the appointment
of Lord Dayton
-(sighs)
-will give renewed drive
(mobile phone ringing)
(Matt) and focus
to really coordinate this
-Hello?
-(Dave) Pippa, it's Dave.
Sorry to bother you on a Sunday.
It's just I got a call
from someone I know
saying that he and his wife
just saw Dominic Cummings
in Houghall Woods, up here.
-In Durham?
-(Dave) Yes.
-(Pippa's daughter) Mum.
-Shh.
-But he was in London last week.
-(Dave) Yep.
I thought you might want
to take a look.
Well, when was he there?
(Dave) I got a call
five minutes ago.
-Right.
-(Pippa's daughter) It's your go.
-Are you playing?
-Okay, thanks.
(mobile phone ringing)
-(Pippa) Hi, Jeremy, it's Pippa.
-Hi, Pippa.
We've just had a tip-off
that Dom Cummings
might be wandering
around Houghall Woods.
No chance of you going down
there now, is there?
It'll take me a little while
to get there,
but I'll get a photographer there
as quickly as I can.
-(daughter 2) Now, will you play?
-Yes, now I will play.
(photographer) Excuse me gents,
er, I'm from
the Daily Mirror newspaper,
I don't suppose you've seen
this gentleman, have you?
No, no.
(photographer)
Thank you for your time. Cheers.
-(music concludes)
-(telephone ringing)
So, er, The Mirror are asking
where Dom was yesterday.
-What do you mean "yesterday"?
-Was he in Durham or was he here?
Fuck's sake, not again.
(mobile phone chimes)
(soft music playing)
(mobile phone chimes)
(mobile phone buzzes)
(mobile phone buzzes)
(mobile phone chimes)
(breathes deeply)
(music concludes)
The Mirror is digging for stuff
about us being in Durham
during lockdown.
Has The Guardian gone away?
-Seems to have.
-Good.
(reporter)
A new testing centre opens
at Chessington Zoo,
but the car park is empty.
Staff say they're only averaging
three or four tests per hour.
(tense music playing)
Right, well,
we pretty much have a week to go.
Where are we at?
The good news is capacity
is pushing 40,000 testers per day.
Yeah, that's still not even
halfway there.
(Newton) Bad news is,
although capacity is 40,000,
we're only actually doing
around 20,000.
We need to meet this target.
(Mary) After the uncertainty
of the bug itself,
we emerged from quarantine
into the almost comical uncertainty
of London lockdown.
Queuing is a pain in the arse
and the most fun
you'll have all day.
Did you read my lockdown article
for The Spectator?
-Yeah.
-Was it okay?
-Yeah.
-I thought it might help.
(telephone ringing)
Have you seen The Spectator today?
Strangely, Jack, I don't have
much time to read magazines.
(Jack) There's an article
by Mary Wakefield
about their self-isolation.
(Mary) People are frightened
and they're calm.
It's spring and it's not.
-Queuing is a pain in the arse
-Un-fucking-believable.
(Mary) and the most fun
you'll have all day.
(automated voice)
One new message
(jogger) Hi, it's me again
about Dominic Cummings.
Look, it's probably too late now,
but a friend of mine said
she saw him as well
in the woods near here.
(Weaver) That's great news.
Was it the same day you saw them?
-(baby cooing)
-No, it was the 19th.
Two weeks later.
Er, can I talk to them?
(jogger) No, they're very nervous.
They don't want to be identified.
So, can you publish the story now?
(Weaver) Not if I can't speak
to them.
But they spoke to me.
They're a second source.
-(Weaver) Yeah, absolutely. erm
-(baby cooing)
Where were they when they saw him?
(jogger) They were walking
in the woods
and Cummings was there.
And as they passed him,
he said something about
how beautiful the bluebells were.
-He spoke to them?
-(jogger) Yeah.
(Jeremy) Morning.
Jeremy Armstrong
from the Daily Mirror newspaper.
We're just meeting some inquiries
about Dominic Cummings.
Were you here last Sunday,
by any chance?
Well, I'm here most Sundays.
Would you recognise
Dominic Cummings?
Sorry to trouble you.
Jeremy Armstrong
from the Daily Mirror newspaper.
Were you here last Sunday,
by any chance?
-No.
-Okay, thank you.
(chuckles)
(Boris) Thank you so much.
You're all very kind to see us off.
Thank you. Don't get cold.
Will you take this rascal from me?
Thank you all for looking after us.
You're all very kind.
(indistinct radio chatter)
(secretary)
Welcome back, Prime Minister.
Thank you.
-(sighs)
-(music concludes)
Home! (breathes deeply)
(birds chirping)
-(Boris) Okay, right.
-(tense music playing)
This way,
it's a left turn for you Dilyn.
Left turn, Dilyn. Come on.
(Emily)
Good morning, Prime minister.
Oh, Emily, sorry, you wouldn't mind
taking Dilyn for a walk, would you?
Yes of course Prime Minister,
thank you.
You're so kind.
You're probably gonna need that.
Okay, thank you. Right, okay,
there we go. Oh, there's
-Yes! Come on.
-(all applauding, cheering)
-(Lee) Good to have you back.
-You are too kind, thank you.
-(camera shutter clicks)
-(Boris) If this virus
were a physical assailant
an unexpected and invisible mugger,
which I can tell you
from personal experience it is,
then this is the moment
when we have begun together
to wrestle it to the floor.
We have got to announce on Friday
that we have carried out
100,000 tests
in the previous 24 hours.
I I think we need to focus
on having the capacity
to do 100,000.
All right, well,
have we got the capacity?
(Wormald) We're maybe 20,000 short.
Yeah, well,
we cannot be 20,000 short.
We could include the antibody test
as well as the PCR tests.
-Yeah, and where would that get us?
-Nearer.
-What about the home testing kit?
-We're already counting those.
(Jamie) Yeah,
but we're counting them
-when the test results come in.
-(Newton) Yeah.
Well, if we counted them
when they were sent out,
then that would boost the numbers,
wouldn't it?
-(Newton) Yeah.
-(Jamie) Right?
Very good. That is it. That is it.
(telephone ringing)
I like the word "restart".
I think that's hopeful.
No, it suggests failure.
You restart a computer
after it's fucked up.
But what
what are we telling them?
-To go out or to stay in?
-Getting back to normal.
No, not normal.
It's a step towards normal.
Do we even want
to go back to normal?
Don't we want to suggest
that the new world might
just be better than the old?
No.
(indistinct chatter)
(Boris sighs, breathes deeply)
Er, are you all right,
Prime Minister?
Yeah, I'm good, I'm good, yeah,
just, er
just overdid it a bit, yeah.
-(pants)
-(music concludes)
-Oh, shit.
-(Boris) What is it?
I think my water's broken.
Er, shall I call the doctor?
No, I don't need a doctor.
I need my mum.
(Boris) Have you had
any contractions?
Er, yeah, I don't know.
I think, er No, I haven't.
I think they were Braxton-Hicks.
Okay.
(coughs) I'm gonna
I'm gonna head down if you
-All right, fine.
-(Boris) All right, bye.
Bye. Bye.
(birds chirping)
(Dominic) I believe that
the pandemic has exposed
systemic weaknesses
in our government.
Complex systems
like government need
to employ the best
cognitive technologies.
I wrote about the need
to make decisions fast
during the crisis in my blog.
Yes, yes, I read it. Er, coffee?
(Dominic) We need seeing rooms
rather than cabinet rooms.
We need dynamic tools
to see deeper into complex systems,
to see across time
and see across possibilities,
thus making it easier
to work with reliable knowledge
and interactive
quantitative models.
What does that actually mean
in practice?
Well, one thing it means
is that the Cabinet Office needs
to be responsible directly
to Number 10.
We are already.
There's been a failure
to have a coherent,
effective response
to the pandemic
and a failure to have prepared
for the pandemic.
This is something
I've written about before.
We had assessed
the risk of a pandemic
and there were recommendations
as to how to mitigate the impact.
Which were not acted upon.
Because the government's priority
was saving money.
It's the government's
responsibility,
not the Civil Service.
You want to maintain
the status quo?
Well, in my opinion,
one of the problems that we have
is that we have a whole class
of special advisors
who don't trust the Civil Service.
-Like me?
-(Mark) Well, yes, to be blunt.
Advisors who are
in the main ex-journalists
or activists who have no experience
of delivering or managing,
whose expertise is in PR
or campaigning,
whose interest
is in eye-catching phrases
or promises or arguments.
I mean, they're used to being
on the outside,
lobbing bombs
and bricks through the windows,
rather than being on the inside,
engaging with the boring problems
of how to deliver at a local level,
day in, day out.
The Civil Service is programmed
to be dysfunctional.
-It excludes the most able people.
-(scoffs)
Look at the special advisors
you've appointed.
Do do you honestly think
they are more capable
than the civil servants
we have here?
Actually, yes, I do.
We have a rigorous
selection process
on the basis of ability,
not political opinion.
You know, people have worked here
for 20 or 30 years
delivering complex programmes
to all governments.
Twenty or 30 years, exactly.
Well, I've read your blogs
and your criticisms
of the Civil Service
and of the civil servants.
You obviously despise us.
Maybe that contempt leads
to a bad working relationship.
I would imagine a new manager
coming into a club,
let's say Jose Mourinho
at Tottenham,
and and imagine he spent years
saying how every player
in the club, every coach,
the chairman, all of them
are lazy and venal and incompetent.
And imagine he then arrives
and has to work with these people.
I mean, you wouldn't expect it
to be a success.
You'd want to clear them all out.
But what if he couldn't
clear them all out?
He would be given the authority
to clear them out.
Or he wouldn't go to the club.
-(tense music playing)
-Right. Tests. How are we doing?
We're getting closer by counting
the home tests.
-We're almost there.
-Well, "almost" isn't good enough.
(Wormald) If we could sort of delay
sending out the tests
today and tomorrow
and send more out on Thursday,
-it could get us over the line.
-Okay. Can you manage that?
(Wormald)
Well, we can try. (chuckles)
(screams)
Oh, are you are you all right?
-I think I need to go to hospital.
-(groans) Er, we have lift off?
I hope so,
because this is fucking painful.
Er, how often are the contractions?
I don't know. I haven't timed them.
How dilated are you?
-I don't know.
-Well, shall I take a look?
-No! Call the fucking hospital.
-Right, okay. Absolutely will do.
(indistinct radio chatter)
Oh, my god. Oh, my god. (pants)
(sirens wailing)
(Boris) Are we in the right place?
(Hirut) Hello, Carrie.
Hello, Prime Minister.
-Boris tonight. Boris tonight.
-(Hirut chuckles)
-I'm Hirut
-(music concludes)
-Is that helping?
-Yeah, I think so.
Yeah, that's what they taught us
in the old NCT classes.
Oh, yeah.
I'm surprised you can remember.
-Twenty years ago.
-Oh, no, it's like riding a bike.
-You never forget.
-Good to know.
(indistinct chatter)
(Carrie) Oh, God!
-(Boris mumbles) I know I should
-(groans)
Or do I do I need to count
Shall I count them or
-No.
-Oh, right. Okay, yeah.
-Great. Great.
-(soft music playing)
-(Boris) Er. You want a sandwich?
-(Carrie) No.
-Chocolate?
-Oh, yeah.
(Hirut) Good, good, Carrie.
-Breathe through it.
-(exhales)
-(Hirut) Breathe through it.
-(exhales)
(Hirut) Resist the urge to push,
and another deep breath.
-(inhales deeply)
-(Hirut) Don't push,
just breathe in, breathe in,
breathe in with me, Carrie.
-(groans)
-Doing really well.
-(screams)
-(Hirut) Good, good,
just a little push,
just a little push.
Okay, it's coming.
Just give me a little push,
just a little push.
-(groans)
-(baby cries)
(groans, breathes heavily) Hi! Hi!
-Oh, my God.
-(baby cries)
(Hirut) Hey.
-A beautiful baby boy.
-Hi! Hi!
-(cries)
-(Boris) Well done.
-Well done.
-(Carrie) Hi. Hi!
From today,
we're moving to an improved
daily reporting system for deaths.
-(Gazza) Ready to go, PM?
-(Boris) Yeah!
-Back to work, Gazza.
-(Gazza) Oh, by the way,
the palace says you can run
in their grounds.
(Boris) Oh,
that's very nice of Maj.
We've recorded an additional
3,811 deaths in total.
-(crowd cheering)
-Thank you, thank you so much.
It went very, very well, very well.
She pushed it out like a trooper.
(crowd laughing)
(reporter) The race is on
to find a vaccine
to fight the virus.
Today, AstraZeneca
and the Jenner Institute
at Oxford announced a new deal
to work together to try
and fast-track the rollout
of their potential
COVID-19 vaccine.
(ambulance sirens wailing)
(mobile phone chimes)
(sighs)
Has a lot of hair, hasn't he?
(Carrie)
Yeah, he takes after Boris.
(Boris) That's right, yes, exactly.
-(laughs)
-(laughs) What's his name?
Wilfred Laurie Nicholas.
-(Charlotte) Oh, nice!
-Yeah, after the two granddads.
And and Nicholas
after two two doctors.
So, what will you
actually call him?
Er, we're, er, not
-not sure yet, are we?
-No.
-No. Not yet, no.
-(music concludes)
(Josephine)
Oh, it's terrible not being able
to come and see him properly.
Give him a hug.
-(Carrie) Yes, and change a nappy.
-(Boris) Yeah.
-(laughs) Yes.
-(Carrie laughs)
Er, the old team
back together again.
-Good to see you, boys.
-Good to see you, Prime Minister.
-Congratulations on your baby.
-Oh, thank you so much.
Well, shall we? "Once more
unto the breach, dear friends".
And so I can confirm today,
for the first time,
that we are past the peak
of this disease.
We are past the peak
and we are on the downward slope.
(reporter) The people were out
in the street again last night,
but the death toll continues
to rise as the government
faces questions
-about its handling of the crisis.
-(tense music playing)
(Wilfred crying)
(groans)
(sirens wailing in the distance)
(music concludes)
(doctor) How are you
this morning, Aisha?
(Aisha) Not good.
(doctor) Look, you've been
on this therapy now for 48 hours.
We don't want
to see you intubated, do we?
So, look,
I can start you on a trial.
You'll be given one of a series
of four drugs, which might help.
Might be a placebo. (clicks tongue)
Er, how do you feel about that?
You want to try?
(Aisha)
Well
We have requests
for more than 30,000 home tests,
so when Amazon send them out,
we will technically get over
the line of 100,000 capacity.
Excellent. Good job.
(Newton) But that does mean
we'll drop below
that margin tomorrow.
-(tense music playing)
-We can worry about that tomorrow.
At the beginning of last month,
I set a goal.
I can announce
that we have met our goal.
The number of tests yesterday,
on the last day of April
was 122,347.
Well, that's very convenient.
I know, last day of April.
It's lucky.
(doctor)
It's quite a wide-reaching trial.
What will she be having?
(doctor)
It'll be a drug or a placebo,
but it could really help
Aisha's recovery.
She'd also be helping
future patients
by being part of this trial.
Beta. Is it what you want?
(Aisha)
(sighs, in English) Okay.
Okay, you have our permission.
(reporter 1)
The Nightingale Hospital
in East London is to close.
The hospital,
which opened on the 3rd of April,
has 4,000 beds,
but has only had
54 patients in total.
The 12 patients being treated
there at the moment
are being transferred
to other London hospitals.
(reporter 2) The United Kingdom
has overtaken Italy
to report the highest official
death toll
from the new coronavirus in Europe,
increasing pressure
on Prime Minister Boris Johnson
over his response to the crisis.
Professor Neil Ferguson has quit
as a government advisor
on coronavirus
and after admitting breaking
the very rules he helped introduce.
I'm speechless.
Yes, I think it is absolutely
the right decision,
er, that that he resign.
I mean, I'm not allowed
to to get involved
in the operational decisions
of police matters.
So, when Matt Hancock said
there were 100,000 tests
that had been done, actually 40,000
of those tests were postal tests.
-So, how many tests did they do?
-We just don't know.
(Kier) But yesterday,
we learned, tragically
-(Wilfred crying)
-that at least 29,427 people
in the UK have now lost their lives
to this dreadful virus.
That's now the highest number
in Europe.
The UK was slow into lockdown,
slow on testing,
slow on tracing,
and slow on the supply
of protective equipment.
(indistinct chatter)
What a cunt.
(reporter) As the Red Arrows fly
over London to celebrate
the 75th anniversary of VE Day,
the British people are
once again facing a deadly enemy.
This time, the coronavirus.
(Queen Elizabeth) And when I look
at our country today,
and see what we are willing to do
to protect and support one another.
I say with pride
that we are still a nation
those brave soldiers, sailors,
and airmen would recognize
and admire.
-(music concludes)
-(Wilfred crying)
It's your turn.
-Hmm?
-(Wilfred cries)
-Oh, yes, yes, yes, Wilfred.
-(cries)
-Yes. Oh, Wilfred.
-(Wilfred cries)
-(yawns)
-(Lee) So, we have the new slogan.
(Boris) "Stay alert".
Really, "Stay alert"?
You see, the problem is that,
because our plan
is to gradually relax the rules,
then our messaging,
just by its very nature,
has to be kind of vague.
Now, "stay at home", that was great
'cause it's
it's simple and it's static,
but now, we're telling everyone
to exercise more now,
but then next week,
go to a garden centre
and then maybe go to work
if you can, but don't if you can't.
We have focus-grouped it.
(indistinct chatter)
Quarantine for people
arriving from abroad?
Yes. Well, there was an argument
for quarantine in the early stages.
We don't believe
that it makes sense
to quarantine now
unless it's from specific areas
with a very high amount of COVID.
People know that the virus
came here from abroad.
They want to know
it's not gonna happen again.
Statistically, Dom,
it makes little sense
to quarantine from a country
with a lower rate
of COVID than we have.
(Dominic)
We have focus-grouped this.
People don't want
their sacrifices to be wasted.
If we have one death arising
from the arrival of someone
from Italy, we will be blamed.
Yeah, I thought
we were being led by the science,
not by focus groups.
(tense music playing)
It is now almost two months
since the people of this country
began to put up with restrictions
on their free Oh, shit.
Okay, again, yeah.
-It is now (sighs)
-(mobile phone buzzes)
Yeah, I'm I'm
Yeah, I'm in the middle of filming.
Well, you'll find out tonight.
I know you're a cabinet minister.
I don't have fucking Alzheimer's.
Well, watch the broadcast tonight,
then you'll know
what the policy is,
like everybody else.
Oh, so, what are you
going to do, resign?
Stay alert, Gazza!
Stay a-fucking-lert!
Right! Where were we?
(birds chirping)
I am concerned about the lack
of transparency in recent spending.
Contracts with Public First
to bring in Gabriel Milland
with Topham Guerin
to bring in Ben Guerin.
And then the appointment
of Ben Warner's brother's company,
Faculty, to do data management.
We appointed people we trust,
the best people.
We're talking about hundreds
of millions of pounds
being spent on consultancy firms
with no open competition.
This could just look like jobs
for the boys.
I just thought you'd like to know
The Mirror want to talk to me.
What?
They've heard
that Cummings was up here
and somebody must have told them
that I'd seen him.
I I promise you,
we will get this story out. Please.
Look, I told you almost a month ago
that I'd seen him
and you've done absolutely nothing.
Can you not speak to The Mirror?
They must have a source.
(reporter) Rishi Sunak today
announced the continuation
of the furlough scheme.
Hello, Pippa, how are you?
So, collaboration.
Cooperation.
We'll need
some clearer ground rules.
-(Guardian reporter) Of course.
-I'll have to talk to my bosses.
(care worker) Thank you!
(reporter) The Equality
and Human Rights Commission
has said it's deeply concerned
by potential breaches
in the human rights of the elderly.
The government's strategy
has been to protect the NHS
from being overwhelmed,
but at what cost
to Britain's care homes?
So, we call our source "Abba".
All right, what are they like?
They're great,
very detailed, very precise,
very together.
What's Bluebell like?
Bluebell?
(Weaver)
Sorry, it's my name for them.
It's because of Cummings
talking about the Bluebells.
(Pippa) How do you know that?
Your source is a friend
of my source.
(Pippa) Oh, right.
-(Weaver) What are they like?
-Er.
Well, to be honest,
we haven't talked to them directly.
But you haven't,
but someone in The Mirror has.
Er, no, erm, they're too nervous
about being identified.
Shit.
Surely, you must have
the scientific evidence
you're able to tell me
at the base underpinning
the department's decision
to reopen schools for reception.
That was not
a departmental decision.
Er, that was a Cabinet decision.
(music concludes)
So, The Mail
are running with the story
that our school reopening plans
-are in chaos.
-Oh, well, that's rubbish.
(Dominic) Not surprising, really,
given the scientific officer's
performance
at the Select Committee.
His statement
was factually accurate.
It was idiotic.
It was correct in saying
that it was a Cabinet decision.
(Wilfred crying)
-(Carrie groans)
-No, I will. I wasn't asleep.
-(Wilfred crying)
-Shh.
There, Wilfred.
I I think he's hungry.
Oh, I'll get him.
You get some sleep, love. Come on.
Okay, okay, okay. Okay.
-(sighs)
-(tense music playing)
-(Carrie mumbles indistinctly)
-(Wilfred cooing)
(Bluebell)
We don't want any publicity.
Well, I don't know your names,
so there is no way anyone
can find out from us.
And you're sure
it was Dominic Cummings?
-(Bluebell) Yes.
-(Pippa) Was he alone?
(Bluebell)
No, he was with his wife.
I assume it was his wife.
A woman, anyway.
We passed them on the path.
Cummings said something
about the bluebells looking lovely.
(Guardian reporter)
We heard the recording.
We all agree the story seems good.
But we can't publish
without knowing who Bluebell is.
Yeah, I agree.
The relationship
between Dom and Sedwill
is at breaking point, I believe.
Mark believes
Dom is trying to push him out
and effectively take control
of the Civil Service.
Well, Okay. So what
what, is there a solution?
I think it would be
extremely disruptive
-to lose Mark now.
-Is he threatening to go?
We're already facing Philip Rutland
suing for constructive dismissal.
Dom wants to get rid
of Simon MacDonald
at the Foreign Office
after his Select Committee
performance.
And there are issues
at the Justice Department, too.
Yeah, but Dom wants us to transform
the way we govern, so, you know
I don't believe
that losing the head
of the Civil Service
in the middle of this crisis
is in the country's best interests?
I love Dom, but
you know, he's not
a chief executive,
he's not a manager, he's
-he's an ideas man.
-(music concludes)
(Kier) Does the Prime Minister
think that it's right
that care workers
coming from abroad
and working on our front line
should have to pay a surcharge
of hundreds,
sometimes thousands of pounds
to use the NHS themselves?
We've been deluged with complaints.
You can't have a Clap for Carers
and then tell them to pay up
for healthcare.
People hate it.
Focus group reports are explicit.
Right, so we, er
we cancel the charge, do we?
-Yeah.
-I agree.
Right, so if we're going
to change that,
I mean, couldn't someone
have seen this coming?
Hmm? I mean,
isn't it someone's actual job
to see what's coming towards us
and give me a heads up?
-(tense music playing)
-(birds chirping)
How are you
how are you feeling?
Er, well, to be honest,
a bit knackered, actually.
What was the, er (chuckles)
the the virus and the baby
and the job, you know?
What doesn't kill you
makes you stronger? (chuckles)
-What about you?
-Oh, I'm okay.
-(Boris) Yeah?
-Nothing too exciting.
It would be so good to see you,
you know, er, properly, you know,
when (stammers)
when this is over.
-Yeah.
-(Boris) Great.
Sounds good.
So, what can I do you for?
We've had a report
about Dominic Cummings
being up here
in Durham during lockdown.
Do you know anything
about that at all?
I was wondering when someone
would you ask me about that?
-Really?
-(policeman) Yeah.
We, er, spoke to the family.
Is this off the record?
You know, if you ask me
an official question,
I can give you
an official response.
Or we can run the story
on the basis
that the police have been
looking into it.
I'm nervous.
Downing Street have denied
this story before.
They denied the 19th.
They haven't denied the fifth.
If the police confirm.
We should give Downing Street
the right to respond.
-(mobile phone chimes)
-What the fuck?
(Gabriel) What?
Pippa says The Mirror
and The Guardian
are gonna run a story
on Dom being in Durham. Tomorrow.
Oh, fucking hell. Let me see.
They're asking for a comment.
Yeah, tell them they're cunts.
Fuck!
I'm not sure you can say
that to a journalist anymore.
(Dominic)
Modelling and policy development.
-I need you to understand
-Dom. Dom! I need a word.
Gotta do it.
(music concludes)
-Be back in a moment.
-(staff member 2) Yes, okay.
So, I've got The Mirror
and The Guardian
asking for a comment on a story
that you were in Durham
during lockdown.
No comment.
Okay, well they're gonna run
with it tomorrow.
No one cares where SPADs go
or what SPADs do.
It's just lobby bubble hot air.
All right.
I'll get Jack to deny it then.
No. I'll handle it.
-Well we can do it.
-(Dominic) I said I'll handle it.
Did the PM know you were up there?
Yeah.
When?
Before he went into hospital.
I don't remember exactly when.
-You know this is gonna get messy.
-I said I'll handle it.
-All right?
-(tense music playing)
(keyboard clacking)
So, according to the Met,
Durham Police are gonna confirm
the Mirror story.
I'll be working from home.
(Pippa) Into your room now.
You've got five minutes.
-Go, go, go. There you go.
-(mobile phone buzzing)
Well done.
(mobile phone buzzes)
-Hi, Jeremy?
-(Jeremy) Hi, Pippa. We've got it.
Yes.
It's all bullshit.
It's the same usual suspects,
The Mirror, The Guardian,
the fucking left-leaning cunts.
They're just trying to find titbits
to feed their readers.
Okay, so we're good to go?
8:00 p.m.
Let's synchronize our watches.
I didn't breach any guidelines.
I should fucking know.
I helped to write them.
My first ever front-page story.
-(Guardian reporter) Brilliant.
-(chuckles)
-(birds chirping)
-(breathes deeply)
(exhales)
(Carrie) He has to resign.
-But he doesn't want to.
-It's not a case of what he wants.
He's going to drag you down
with him.
Yeah, once they smell blood
they just want more,
you know, they're like sharks.
Well, you know, that makes them
sound way too glamorous,
they're like hyenas
and they're, you know
Once you're down and wounded
they gather around,
just keep on ploughing across
the savannah, ignoring them
and then
then they're too cowardly
to, you know, to
to come in for the kill.
(reporter) Boris Johnson gives
Dominic Cummings his full support.
The opposition says
it's double standards,
Labour's Rachel Reeves
calling for an investigation.
-I want to go to the playground.
-We can go to the playground.
(Cedd growls)
I can get off myself.
Did you see that?
I know! You're really good
at doing that.
Oh, we need Tiger.
We need Tiger. All right, come on.
-All right, let's go.
-(Cedd laughs)
All right, let's go.
-(Robin) Hello?
-Hi, is that Robin Lees?
It's Matthew Weaver
from The Guardian.
-That was quick.
-(Weaver) Yes.
Er, so, when did you think
you saw Cummings?
(Robin) I'm pretty sure it was him.
I can remember his number plate.
-It was on the 12th of April.
-You remember his number plate?
(Robin) Yeah, I've got
a good memory
for that sort of thing.
(journalist 1)
Morning, Mr Cummings.
Hey, guys. Social distancing.
Move that way.
Create a path through.
(journalist 2)
Are you getting ready to go?
(Dominic)
Who cares about good looks?
It's a question of doing
the right thing.
It's not about what you guys think.
Are you going to consider
your position, Mr Cummings?
(Dominic) Obviously not.
(journalist 3)
The public are probably very angry.
(Dominic) I don't think so.
You guys are probably as right
about that as you were
about Brexit.
Remember how right you were,
how right you all were about that?
Dom has sent us
a statement to issue.
-(music concludes)
-Where is Dom?
Er, judging by the TV news footage,
he's gone to the park.
(Boris)
But why isn't he in the office?
I think he's trying to signal
that he doesn't give a fuck.
Well, he better start
giving a fuck!
So, Number 10 have said,
at no stage was he or his family
spoken to by the police
about this matter,
as is being reported.
Well, that's just wrong.
We have the Durham Police statement
saying what he did was unwise
and frustrating.
Robin Lees is happy for us
to use his name.
-(mobile phone chimes)
-(Jack sighs)
Mirror and Guardian are claiming
Dom was in Barnard Castle
on the 12th and Durham on the 19th.
Well, no, we know
he was in Durham on the 12th.
Barnard Castle's not in Durham.
-Where is it?
-(Gabriel) Hang on.
Er, it's 24.4 miles away
on the fastest route.
Or 26.6 via Dentgate Lane.
Then what the fuck was he doing
in Barnard fucking Castle?
Call his number
until he fucking answers!
-Fuck!
-(tense music playing)
The important thing
is that everybody
stays in the same place
while in lockdown.
That's clearly
what happened in this case.
Now, the the Prime Minister
would have known
that Mr Cummings stayed put
and and didn't come out again
until he was feeling better
Did no one tell that fucking idiot
not open his mouth and talk shit?
Well, actually, I don't think
that technically is wrong.
(minister) the children,
keep following this advice.
In what way is it not wrong?
Well, presumably Dom
was feeling better
when he went to Barnard Castle.
Or else he wouldn't want to go
for a walk, would he?
Is that supposed to be a joke?
-Yes.
-(minister) In other words
Hi, Lee.
(Lee) Yeah, The Mirror
and The Guardian are saying
that you were in Barnard Castle
on the 12th. Is that right?
-They have a witness?
-Yeah.
They're also saying you were
in Houghall Woods on the 19th.
Now, you were down here
on the 14th,
so, what, does that mean
you went back up there?
That's not true.
I'll draft a response.
(reporter)
Dominic Cummings has faced
his own political mortality before.
Surely, now,
he's running out of lives.
-(birds chirping)
-(music concludes)
(Slack) Were you at Barnard Castle?
(Dominic) Yeah.
(Slack) When did you return
from Durham to London?
On the 13th.
(Slack) Well, what about this story
that you were there on the 19th?
I was in London on the 19th.
I have photos, data on my phone.
I was in London.
Perhaps the PM and I
could talk privately?
Sure. Sure.
How is, er, Mary?
She's finding it pretty difficult
at the moment.
-Yeah, I can imagine.
-(Dominic) It'll blow over.
Gabriel's organised
some focus groups.
Get a sense of whether
it's cutting through.
(Boris) Right, thanks, yeah.
-(door shutting)
-You do remember that I told you
I was in Durham on the phone?
Oh, come on, Dom.
It's not a question of what I feel
or think or believe
about you being in Durham.
And you know that.
We have almost five years
ahead of us.
There's a huge amount
of work to be done.
In five years' time,
no one will remember
Barnard Castle or Durham.
This is just a bit of bad weather.
It'll blow over.
(speaks Greek)
(in English)
"All men make mistakes.
The only crime is pride".
I don't believe it was a mistake
to go to Durham.
I was looking at some of the papers
from Imperial about the spread
of the virus,
They estimate that about
one and a half million people
were infected
by the time we locked down.
Two weeks earlier, that figure
would have been about 75,000.
Yeah, they were reported
in The Times yesterday.
Twenty-two days of dither and delay
that cost thousands of lives.
People have died
all over the world.
There were failures.
That's why we need
to change the system.
SAGE isn't fit for purpose.
PHE is a disaster.
The NHS is full of time-servers.
The Department of Health
is incompetent.
This crisis was a health crisis.
The next will be transport
or or work and pensions.
We need to use this disruption
to build a a different system
of government.
You complain a lot about failure
in government,
about how it's never punished,
sometimes rewarded,
but was this all their fault?
Is this big government
that isn't us?
I mean, haven't we failed?
MUSIC: "Zadok the Priest"
by George Frideric Handel.
I think we failed.
You fucked up, Dom.
Dominic Cummings is a complete
and utter waste and needs to go.
He's unscrupulous and selfish.
He should resign
and we should be concentrating
on more important issues.
(Wilfred crying)
-Good luck.
-Thank you.
Do I really have to say all this?
(sighs) Fuck's sake.
(song concludes)
-Don't touch the hair. Thanks.
-(Gazza) It's time.
(Boris) Er, good afternoon,
I want to begin by answering
the big question, er,
that people have been asking
in the last 48 hours.
I believe that in every respect
he has acted responsibly
and legally and
and with integrity.
And I have concluded, er,
that he followed the instincts
of every father and every parent.
Yes, Ian.
Did Dominic Cummings make a trip
to Barnard Castle in April
when he was isolating
or at least was based in Durham?
Er, again, I just
I repeat what I said earlier on.
I'm content, er, that at all times
throughout his period in isolation,
he behaved, er,
responsibly and correctly.
You know that is not
going to be the end of it.
-(Boris) Were you watching?
-Yes.
-He is going to bring you down.
-Good!
Sack him! Sack him,
sack him, sack him.
I'm gonna sack you one day.
Sack him. Is that a complaint?
I thought the whole point
of having a young girlfriend
was that you got lots
and lots of sex.
Yes, and babies.
Do you remember
that we have a baby?
Yeah. (sighs)
(Pippa) Hi, I got your email
about Dominic Cummings.
-We saw him here in Durham.
-(tense music playing)
-(Pippa) When?
-On the 19th of April.
-And where?
-(Clare) In Houghall Woods.
Yes. And you're sure
it was Dominic Cummings?
(Clare) Absolutely.
And you're willing to have
your names published?
(Clare) Oh, yeah.
(Carrie) That's The Mail.
Not The Mirror, The Mail.
You have got to get rid of him.
(Boris) What is the plan?
We need to draw
a line under this somehow.
It's not going to be easy.
In my opinion, and I'm sorry
to say this, but Dom has to go.
He can come back at a later date,
but right now he's causing
too much collateral damage.
Well, he doesn't want to go.
(sighs) I don't think it is right
that you go out there
and take the flak for Dom.
It's it's not right.
I agree.
(Lee) Maybe Dom
should make a statement.
We get him out there.
Dom talk in public? (chuckles)
He's not gonna like that.
Maybe then he'll understand
how angry people are.
(indistinct chatter)
-Coffee?
-No.
Gabriel's gonna pretend
to be a cross
between Peston and Kuenssberg.
-No, no. Pessburg.
-Give you a dry run.
Have you brought
a change of clothes?
No.
Cleo?
Get him something sensible to wear.
Hey, Nicola.
They've announced Cummings
is doing a press conference today
in Downing Street.
I'm running the lobby today,
but I can't go in.
I've got the kids.
Can you cover for me?
(Gabriel) So, why did you travel
to Barnard Castle?
(Dominic) To make sure
that I was okay to drive to London.
Er, weren't you putting
other people at risk?
No, because we socially distanced
at all times.
When you found out
your wife had the virus,
-you went home immediately?
-Yeah, to check that she was okay.
But then you came back
into Downing Street,
a busy office,
after having been in contact
with someone with the virus.
Wasn't that in breach
of the guidelines?
Weren't you risking infecting
your colleagues?
I could
I could say that
I socially distanced at the office.
Why didn't you just have the stuff
you needed sent home?
(music concludes)
(journalist)
Do you think he's done a runner?
(chuckles)
-(indistinct chatter)
-(tense music playing)
Good luck.
-(Cleo) Good luck.
-Thank you.
Hi there.
Sorry I'm late.
Good afternoon. Thanks for coming.
Yesterday, I gave a full account
to the Prime Minister of my actions
between the 27th of March
and the 14th of April.
Of what I thought and did.
And he has asked me to repeat
that account directly to you.
I know that millions
of people in this country
have been suffering,
thousands have died.
Many are angry
about what they've seen
in the media about my actions.
On Sunday, the 12th of April,
15 days after I first
displayed symptoms,
I decided to return to work.
My wife was very worried,
particularly given
my eyesight seemed
seemed to have been affected
by the disease
What the fuck?
He never said that to me.
(Dominic) I took a short drive
to see if I could drive safely
Why doesn't
he just fucking apologise?
and ended up on the outskirts
of Barnard Castle town.
In the last few days,
there have been many media reports
that I returned to Durham
after the 13th of April.
All these stories are false.
There is a particular report
that I returned there
on the 19th of April.
Photos and data on my phone
prove this to be false.
Fuck.
Last year, I wrote
about the possible threat
of coronaviruses
and the urgent need for planning.
For years, I warned
of the dangers of pandemics.
The truth is that I had argued
for lockdown.
I did not oppose it.
I wanted to explain what I thought
because I think that people
like me who help to make the rules
should be accountable
for their actions.
(keyboard clacking)
Let me just say at the outset
that I can't speak on behalf
of special advisors
as that is not my job.
Erm, yes.
(Tim) When you told us
that Dominic Cummings
was isolating, quote,
"at home", did you know
at home meant Durham?
-Or did you think it was London?
-Er, no.
Erm, the context of my answer
was just pointing out
that he wasn't at work.
Yeah, but you said he was at home.
I was just pointing out
that he wasn't at work.
(reporter 1)
You told us he was at home.
It seems odd you would tell us
that without knowing where he was.
I was just pointing out
that he wasn't at work.
I actually think
that you've been quite brave.
Brave in the way
that you've been
prepared to sacrifice
the credibility
and popularity
of your own government
just to stand by your man.
You somehow managed
to unite a nation in condemnation
and indignation over your handling
of Mr Cummings.
Prime Minister, you said
that a number of the allegations
that are made about
Dominic Cummings were false.
You were with him for six hours.
Did you see the evidence
to prove that?
Er, Meg, you know, I don't want
to I don't want to
(Meg) Yes or no, Prime Minister?
It's a simple question.
Did you see the evidence?
If if it pleased you,
I'd say yes, I did,
but, you know, I don't want to
I don't want to, in any way,
cloud, you know, issues. Er
We have to run the Edwards' story.
They are the perfect witnesses.
She's a nurse, he's supplied
Nightingale hospitals, he's a Tory.
They are really clear,
and they're willing to be named.
Cummings has said very clearly
that this is not true.
Exactly, we've got him.
And the PM said
that he'd seen the evidence.
Exactly, we've got him too.
Cummings has specifically
said this story is untrue.
If we print this, and then
he brings out his phone records
and proves he was in London,
then we're fucked.
(sighs) Okay. All right.
Well, bye for now then, guys.
-(music concludes)
-Okay. Thank you. Bye-bye.
(breathes deeply)
Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!
(sighs) Oh, er, sorry, sweetheart.
(breathes deeply)
Bad day at the office.
(dramatic music playing)
(door shutting)
What?
-Can I have a word about this?
-No, not a good time.
(music concludes)
-(Boris) Can I ask one question?
-(Dominic) Of course.
Why did you change your blog
retrofit it to include coronavirus?
I mean, didn't you
didn't you know
that people would be able
to find that out?
I mean, are you not tech savvy?
I mean, why
why do you have to try to show
that you had predicted
the pandemic on your own
like some fucking super forecaster?
(speaks Greek)
-(in English) I don't speak Greek.
-Yeah, and I'm not gonna translate!
(dramatic music playing)
(crowd cheering, applauding)
(Boris) "This royal throne
of kings, this sceptered isle,
this earth of majesty,
this seat of Mars,
this other Eden demi-paradise,
this fortress built by nature
for herself against infection,
or the hand of war,
this happy breed of men,
this little world".
"This precious stone,
set in the silver sea
which serves it
in the office of a wall,
or as a moat, defensive to a house
against the envy
of less happier lands".
"This blessed plot,
this earth, this realm".
"This England".
We usually leave it there,
you know, forget the rest.
"This England
whose rocky shore beats back
the envious siege
of watery Neptune
is now bound in with shame
with inky blots
and rotten parchment bonds".
(music concludes)
(Boris) "That England
that was wont to conquer others
hath made
a shameful conquest of itself".
"Ah, would the scandal vanish
with my life".
"How happy then
were my ensuing death".
You're not going to die.
No.
You're right.
(tense music playing)
I think in retrospect, it's clear
that the official plan was wrong.
It's clear that the whole advice
was wrong.
And I think it's clear that we,
obviously, should have locked down
essentially the the first week
of March at the latest.
The truth is that senior ministers,
senior officials,
senior advisors like me
fell disastrously short
of the standards
that the public
has a right to expect
of its government
in a crisis like this.
(indistinct chatter)
(customer) Thank you.
In England, from today,
we're once again asking you
to stay at home.
It's completely crackers
that someone like me
should have been in there,
just the same as it's crackers
that Boris Johnson was in there.
It is with a very heavy heart,
I must tell you, we cannot continue
with Christmas as planned.
-I paid the fine immediately
-(indistinct chatter)
and I offered the British people
a full apology.
It is clearly now the will
of, er, the Parliamentary
Conservative Party
that there should be
a new leader of that party
and therefore,
a new Prime Minister.
(crowd cheering, applauding)
(music concludes)
(tense music playing)
-(birds chirping)
-(music concludes)
(yawns)
-(Carrie) Morning.
-Oh, good morning.
-(knock on door)
-Come in.
(door opening)
Thank you, Robert.
Would you like breakfast in bed,
Prime Minister?
Oh, yes, please.
No full English, though.
-The doctor sent us a diet sheet.
-Good, good, fresh start.
New, lean, mean Boris.
Say goodbye to the, er, roly-poly,
hail-fellow,
well-met Boris of yesteryear.
I'll bring the juice and muesli.
-Good. Thank you.
-(door shutting)
Easter Sunday,
Christ rose from the dead.
What did he do on Monday?
Pootle around a bit
and help in the garden?
I don't know what Christ did,
but you're going to rest.
-(tense music playing)
-(Boris) Oh, God, here he comes.
-Go away. Go away.
-(puppy barking)
Why have we never trained
that bloody dog? (sighs)
(sirens wailing in the distance)
(indistinct chatter)
So, testing,
where are we at with that?
(Newton)
We are increasing capacity.
There have been
a few teething issues.
And we're currently at?
Currently around 18,000 a day.
And I heard there was
a problem with PHE testing?
We have a shortage of swabs
and there has been an issue
with the enzymes.
We reckon we're getting
around three percent errors.
Can I remind everyone
that we have a current target
of 100,000 tests per day
by the end of this month.
(Yvonne) We are aware of that,
though that wasn't
a target that we set.
That was your target.
-(knocks on door)
-Come in.
Prime Minister?
Ah! Pericles, the man himself,
would you, er
would you put it over there
please on the
-on the table by the desk?
-Yes, Prime Minister.
(Boris) He's my hero.
He died in the plague in Athens.
We we are
we are made of sterner stuff.
Is that good there, Prime Minister?
Very good. Thank you so much.
(Robert) Thank you, Prime Minister.
(minister)
And I'm very sorry to say
that 11,329 people have now died
from coronavirus.
Every one of them a tragedy.
(ambulance sirens wailing)
(NHS worker 1) Okay, we're here.
(NHS worker 2) Here we go, Andrea.
-(Becky) Okay, in here please.
-(NHS worker 1) Thanks, Becky.
(indistinct chatter)
(NHS worker 1) Just put you
by the bed now, okay?
(Becky) Hi, Andrea.
Hi, Andrea. It's Becky.
It's going to be all right, honey.
We're going to get you into our bed
now, monitoring, all right?
(Manny) Welcome back, Andrea.
You're back here in Northwick Park.
We're going to look after you now.
(Paul) Who made the decision
not to test the unsymptomatic
care workers?
We know from our tests
that they're a major cause
of hospital infections.
Well, presumably they
just aren't enough tests
-to allow that.
-(Paul sighs)
But why aren't they using
more of our labs?
Just setting up
brand-new lighthouse labs
is bound to be slow out
of the blocks.
Who makes these decisions?
And why are they not setting up
testing everywhere?
And why is the government ignoring
two Nobel Prize winners
in medicine?
Exactly.
-(staff member) Morning.
-Morning.
(music concludes)
Hello, Dom.
(Dominic) Hello.
Welcome back.
Thanks.
-It's delicious.
-Really?
I mean, do you do you really,
actually find muesli delicious?
-Yes.
-Baffling.
Don't do
your old fogie impression on me.
Youth of today.
(physiotherapist)
In through the nose.
(inhales)
(physiotherapist) Fill those lungs.
Out through the mouth.
(exhales)
(inhales, exhales)
(groans)
-Oh, God I feel like a geriatric.
-(physiotherapist chuckles)
We need to build your strength
gradually, just day by day.
And the harder you work,
the stronger you'll be.
Shall we see? What is he doing?
Daddy's busy. Come on.
(Dominic) The report describes
yet another well-publicised
incident in China
in which two researchers
conducting virus research
were exposed
to SARS coronavirus samples
that were incompletely inactivated.
We're almost halfway through April.
How close are we to meeting
your target on testing?
Yeah, we're just under,
erm, 20,000 a day.
(Dominic) Where were you
supposed to be by this point?
We're roughly on target.
Thanks, Dom.
Can you send me your projections,
so we can track
your progress daily?
The Department of Health
is sharing all their data,
-if you wish to check it.
-I do wish to check it.
I'd like to see
those projections daily, please.
We need some good news, all right?
We need to get something out there,
get something positive out there.
We're taking a lot of flack
on care homes.
-We need something to announce.
-(tense music playing)
(reporter) All around Britain,
people are out in the streets.
But inside the nursing homes
and care homes,
the situation is critical,
and it seems to be getting worse.
(Matt) Yeah, go on.
(Jamie) Er, Telegraph says
Care England fears as many
as 7,500 people
could have died after contracting
the disease in care homes.
(Matt) Shit.
Morning, all. Er, so, go on,
what is today's good news?
Gowns, we're going
to run out of gowns,
we need to change the guidelines
on when they're used.
We can't have doctors
using unsafe PPE.
(Jin) We don't have the supply.
The only solution
is to ration the demand.
How can we do that?
We could perhaps reduce
the number of specific situations
in which they need to be used
to try and dampen demand
without undermining safety.
A clarification rather than a ban.
I've had a change
of PPE guidance from PHE.
Oh, God. Let me guess, the gowns?
Well, we don't need them
apparently, just an apron.
Right. Well, yeah, I mean,
that makes sense, doesn't it?
Obviously, given that the virus
only attacks us from the front.
(NHS worker 1)
Sats are coming up to 80s.
Are you happy for cricoid off?
(Tom) Cricoid off.
Thank you. Okay.
Prime Minister,
the NHS saved your life.
Now, we need you to save ours.
Fucking hell.
We need personal
protective equipment now.
The situation around PPE
is becoming quite serious.
(Lee) Matt, we need something
to announce.
Yeah, but we have sourced, er,
400,000 gowns
from a supplier in Turkey.
Er, but we should wait for it
to arrive before we announce it.
Yeah, it's important
that we don't over-promise.
We are under-promising
and under-delivering.
There's a total lack of ambition.
It seems to me
the whole system is failing.
No one's in charge,
no one's responsible.
We need to get someone
in from outside
who can get things done.
Well, that was the philosophy
behind NHS Supply
in the first place.
Jim Spittel came from Tesco,
Jin Sohoto came from Technicolor,
and they implemented
a supermarket-style,
just-in-time system to save money.
You could argue
that's why we're struggling now.
Look, we we need our own version
of Beaverbrook
to come in and turn things around.
I've been thinking
about Paul Dayton.
He delivered the Olympics.
I'm sure he can deliver
on masks and gowns.
(jet engine whirring)
(Matt) Turkey, where are we at?
We've got three planes
on the tarmac
at RAF Bryce Norton ready to go.
Okay, great.
The one problem is we're still
struggling with the export permit
from the Turkish government.
Today I can announce
that we'll be taking
a large delivery
of PPE from Turkey tomorrow.
Matt specifically said
not to announce
the Turkey shipment.
But we're trying
to cover your backs.
Get something positive out there
for them to talk about.
And by the way, you can tell Matt,
Boris spoke to Paul Dayton
and he said yes.
We're going to announce tomorrow.
Dom wants us to fuck up so he can
tell everyone how crap we are.
He wants everyone
to be crap except him.
Look, maybe we get Dayton
to, er, own Turkey.
I mean, he's the new tsar.
Yeah,
I don't think he's that stupid.
Make sure you tell everyone
it was Downing Street
that briefed out Turkey and not us.
Yeah, I've done. I've seen a bit.
(clears throat)
(reporter) The government
has appointed the 2012
Olympics chief executive,
Lord Dayton, as PPE tsar.
Er, right. Oh, er, yeah.
Right. Hang on. There we go.
I think the appointment
of Lord Dayton
-(sighs)
-will give renewed drive
(mobile phone ringing)
(Matt) and focus
to really coordinate this
-Hello?
-(Dave) Pippa, it's Dave.
Sorry to bother you on a Sunday.
It's just I got a call
from someone I know
saying that he and his wife
just saw Dominic Cummings
in Houghall Woods, up here.
-In Durham?
-(Dave) Yes.
-(Pippa's daughter) Mum.
-Shh.
-But he was in London last week.
-(Dave) Yep.
I thought you might want
to take a look.
Well, when was he there?
(Dave) I got a call
five minutes ago.
-Right.
-(Pippa's daughter) It's your go.
-Are you playing?
-Okay, thanks.
(mobile phone ringing)
-(Pippa) Hi, Jeremy, it's Pippa.
-Hi, Pippa.
We've just had a tip-off
that Dom Cummings
might be wandering
around Houghall Woods.
No chance of you going down
there now, is there?
It'll take me a little while
to get there,
but I'll get a photographer there
as quickly as I can.
-(daughter 2) Now, will you play?
-Yes, now I will play.
(photographer) Excuse me gents,
er, I'm from
the Daily Mirror newspaper,
I don't suppose you've seen
this gentleman, have you?
No, no.
(photographer)
Thank you for your time. Cheers.
-(music concludes)
-(telephone ringing)
So, er, The Mirror are asking
where Dom was yesterday.
-What do you mean "yesterday"?
-Was he in Durham or was he here?
Fuck's sake, not again.
(mobile phone chimes)
(soft music playing)
(mobile phone chimes)
(mobile phone buzzes)
(mobile phone buzzes)
(mobile phone chimes)
(breathes deeply)
(music concludes)
The Mirror is digging for stuff
about us being in Durham
during lockdown.
Has The Guardian gone away?
-Seems to have.
-Good.
(reporter)
A new testing centre opens
at Chessington Zoo,
but the car park is empty.
Staff say they're only averaging
three or four tests per hour.
(tense music playing)
Right, well,
we pretty much have a week to go.
Where are we at?
The good news is capacity
is pushing 40,000 testers per day.
Yeah, that's still not even
halfway there.
(Newton) Bad news is,
although capacity is 40,000,
we're only actually doing
around 20,000.
We need to meet this target.
(Mary) After the uncertainty
of the bug itself,
we emerged from quarantine
into the almost comical uncertainty
of London lockdown.
Queuing is a pain in the arse
and the most fun
you'll have all day.
Did you read my lockdown article
for The Spectator?
-Yeah.
-Was it okay?
-Yeah.
-I thought it might help.
(telephone ringing)
Have you seen The Spectator today?
Strangely, Jack, I don't have
much time to read magazines.
(Jack) There's an article
by Mary Wakefield
about their self-isolation.
(Mary) People are frightened
and they're calm.
It's spring and it's not.
-Queuing is a pain in the arse
-Un-fucking-believable.
(Mary) and the most fun
you'll have all day.
(automated voice)
One new message
(jogger) Hi, it's me again
about Dominic Cummings.
Look, it's probably too late now,
but a friend of mine said
she saw him as well
in the woods near here.
(Weaver) That's great news.
Was it the same day you saw them?
-(baby cooing)
-No, it was the 19th.
Two weeks later.
Er, can I talk to them?
(jogger) No, they're very nervous.
They don't want to be identified.
So, can you publish the story now?
(Weaver) Not if I can't speak
to them.
But they spoke to me.
They're a second source.
-(Weaver) Yeah, absolutely. erm
-(baby cooing)
Where were they when they saw him?
(jogger) They were walking
in the woods
and Cummings was there.
And as they passed him,
he said something about
how beautiful the bluebells were.
-He spoke to them?
-(jogger) Yeah.
(Jeremy) Morning.
Jeremy Armstrong
from the Daily Mirror newspaper.
We're just meeting some inquiries
about Dominic Cummings.
Were you here last Sunday,
by any chance?
Well, I'm here most Sundays.
Would you recognise
Dominic Cummings?
Sorry to trouble you.
Jeremy Armstrong
from the Daily Mirror newspaper.
Were you here last Sunday,
by any chance?
-No.
-Okay, thank you.
(chuckles)
(Boris) Thank you so much.
You're all very kind to see us off.
Thank you. Don't get cold.
Will you take this rascal from me?
Thank you all for looking after us.
You're all very kind.
(indistinct radio chatter)
(secretary)
Welcome back, Prime Minister.
Thank you.
-(sighs)
-(music concludes)
Home! (breathes deeply)
(birds chirping)
-(Boris) Okay, right.
-(tense music playing)
This way,
it's a left turn for you Dilyn.
Left turn, Dilyn. Come on.
(Emily)
Good morning, Prime minister.
Oh, Emily, sorry, you wouldn't mind
taking Dilyn for a walk, would you?
Yes of course Prime Minister,
thank you.
You're so kind.
You're probably gonna need that.
Okay, thank you. Right, okay,
there we go. Oh, there's
-Yes! Come on.
-(all applauding, cheering)
-(Lee) Good to have you back.
-You are too kind, thank you.
-(camera shutter clicks)
-(Boris) If this virus
were a physical assailant
an unexpected and invisible mugger,
which I can tell you
from personal experience it is,
then this is the moment
when we have begun together
to wrestle it to the floor.
We have got to announce on Friday
that we have carried out
100,000 tests
in the previous 24 hours.
I I think we need to focus
on having the capacity
to do 100,000.
All right, well,
have we got the capacity?
(Wormald) We're maybe 20,000 short.
Yeah, well,
we cannot be 20,000 short.
We could include the antibody test
as well as the PCR tests.
-Yeah, and where would that get us?
-Nearer.
-What about the home testing kit?
-We're already counting those.
(Jamie) Yeah,
but we're counting them
-when the test results come in.
-(Newton) Yeah.
Well, if we counted them
when they were sent out,
then that would boost the numbers,
wouldn't it?
-(Newton) Yeah.
-(Jamie) Right?
Very good. That is it. That is it.
(telephone ringing)
I like the word "restart".
I think that's hopeful.
No, it suggests failure.
You restart a computer
after it's fucked up.
But what
what are we telling them?
-To go out or to stay in?
-Getting back to normal.
No, not normal.
It's a step towards normal.
Do we even want
to go back to normal?
Don't we want to suggest
that the new world might
just be better than the old?
No.
(indistinct chatter)
(Boris sighs, breathes deeply)
Er, are you all right,
Prime Minister?
Yeah, I'm good, I'm good, yeah,
just, er
just overdid it a bit, yeah.
-(pants)
-(music concludes)
-Oh, shit.
-(Boris) What is it?
I think my water's broken.
Er, shall I call the doctor?
No, I don't need a doctor.
I need my mum.
(Boris) Have you had
any contractions?
Er, yeah, I don't know.
I think, er No, I haven't.
I think they were Braxton-Hicks.
Okay.
(coughs) I'm gonna
I'm gonna head down if you
-All right, fine.
-(Boris) All right, bye.
Bye. Bye.
(birds chirping)
(Dominic) I believe that
the pandemic has exposed
systemic weaknesses
in our government.
Complex systems
like government need
to employ the best
cognitive technologies.
I wrote about the need
to make decisions fast
during the crisis in my blog.
Yes, yes, I read it. Er, coffee?
(Dominic) We need seeing rooms
rather than cabinet rooms.
We need dynamic tools
to see deeper into complex systems,
to see across time
and see across possibilities,
thus making it easier
to work with reliable knowledge
and interactive
quantitative models.
What does that actually mean
in practice?
Well, one thing it means
is that the Cabinet Office needs
to be responsible directly
to Number 10.
We are already.
There's been a failure
to have a coherent,
effective response
to the pandemic
and a failure to have prepared
for the pandemic.
This is something
I've written about before.
We had assessed
the risk of a pandemic
and there were recommendations
as to how to mitigate the impact.
Which were not acted upon.
Because the government's priority
was saving money.
It's the government's
responsibility,
not the Civil Service.
You want to maintain
the status quo?
Well, in my opinion,
one of the problems that we have
is that we have a whole class
of special advisors
who don't trust the Civil Service.
-Like me?
-(Mark) Well, yes, to be blunt.
Advisors who are
in the main ex-journalists
or activists who have no experience
of delivering or managing,
whose expertise is in PR
or campaigning,
whose interest
is in eye-catching phrases
or promises or arguments.
I mean, they're used to being
on the outside,
lobbing bombs
and bricks through the windows,
rather than being on the inside,
engaging with the boring problems
of how to deliver at a local level,
day in, day out.
The Civil Service is programmed
to be dysfunctional.
-It excludes the most able people.
-(scoffs)
Look at the special advisors
you've appointed.
Do do you honestly think
they are more capable
than the civil servants
we have here?
Actually, yes, I do.
We have a rigorous
selection process
on the basis of ability,
not political opinion.
You know, people have worked here
for 20 or 30 years
delivering complex programmes
to all governments.
Twenty or 30 years, exactly.
Well, I've read your blogs
and your criticisms
of the Civil Service
and of the civil servants.
You obviously despise us.
Maybe that contempt leads
to a bad working relationship.
I would imagine a new manager
coming into a club,
let's say Jose Mourinho
at Tottenham,
and and imagine he spent years
saying how every player
in the club, every coach,
the chairman, all of them
are lazy and venal and incompetent.
And imagine he then arrives
and has to work with these people.
I mean, you wouldn't expect it
to be a success.
You'd want to clear them all out.
But what if he couldn't
clear them all out?
He would be given the authority
to clear them out.
Or he wouldn't go to the club.
-(tense music playing)
-Right. Tests. How are we doing?
We're getting closer by counting
the home tests.
-We're almost there.
-Well, "almost" isn't good enough.
(Wormald) If we could sort of delay
sending out the tests
today and tomorrow
and send more out on Thursday,
-it could get us over the line.
-Okay. Can you manage that?
(Wormald)
Well, we can try. (chuckles)
(screams)
Oh, are you are you all right?
-I think I need to go to hospital.
-(groans) Er, we have lift off?
I hope so,
because this is fucking painful.
Er, how often are the contractions?
I don't know. I haven't timed them.
How dilated are you?
-I don't know.
-Well, shall I take a look?
-No! Call the fucking hospital.
-Right, okay. Absolutely will do.
(indistinct radio chatter)
Oh, my god. Oh, my god. (pants)
(sirens wailing)
(Boris) Are we in the right place?
(Hirut) Hello, Carrie.
Hello, Prime Minister.
-Boris tonight. Boris tonight.
-(Hirut chuckles)
-I'm Hirut
-(music concludes)
-Is that helping?
-Yeah, I think so.
Yeah, that's what they taught us
in the old NCT classes.
Oh, yeah.
I'm surprised you can remember.
-Twenty years ago.
-Oh, no, it's like riding a bike.
-You never forget.
-Good to know.
(indistinct chatter)
(Carrie) Oh, God!
-(Boris mumbles) I know I should
-(groans)
Or do I do I need to count
Shall I count them or
-No.
-Oh, right. Okay, yeah.
-Great. Great.
-(soft music playing)
-(Boris) Er. You want a sandwich?
-(Carrie) No.
-Chocolate?
-Oh, yeah.
(Hirut) Good, good, Carrie.
-Breathe through it.
-(exhales)
-(Hirut) Breathe through it.
-(exhales)
(Hirut) Resist the urge to push,
and another deep breath.
-(inhales deeply)
-(Hirut) Don't push,
just breathe in, breathe in,
breathe in with me, Carrie.
-(groans)
-Doing really well.
-(screams)
-(Hirut) Good, good,
just a little push,
just a little push.
Okay, it's coming.
Just give me a little push,
just a little push.
-(groans)
-(baby cries)
(groans, breathes heavily) Hi! Hi!
-Oh, my God.
-(baby cries)
(Hirut) Hey.
-A beautiful baby boy.
-Hi! Hi!
-(cries)
-(Boris) Well done.
-Well done.
-(Carrie) Hi. Hi!
From today,
we're moving to an improved
daily reporting system for deaths.
-(Gazza) Ready to go, PM?
-(Boris) Yeah!
-Back to work, Gazza.
-(Gazza) Oh, by the way,
the palace says you can run
in their grounds.
(Boris) Oh,
that's very nice of Maj.
We've recorded an additional
3,811 deaths in total.
-(crowd cheering)
-Thank you, thank you so much.
It went very, very well, very well.
She pushed it out like a trooper.
(crowd laughing)
(reporter) The race is on
to find a vaccine
to fight the virus.
Today, AstraZeneca
and the Jenner Institute
at Oxford announced a new deal
to work together to try
and fast-track the rollout
of their potential
COVID-19 vaccine.
(ambulance sirens wailing)
(mobile phone chimes)
(sighs)
Has a lot of hair, hasn't he?
(Carrie)
Yeah, he takes after Boris.
(Boris) That's right, yes, exactly.
-(laughs)
-(laughs) What's his name?
Wilfred Laurie Nicholas.
-(Charlotte) Oh, nice!
-Yeah, after the two granddads.
And and Nicholas
after two two doctors.
So, what will you
actually call him?
Er, we're, er, not
-not sure yet, are we?
-No.
-No. Not yet, no.
-(music concludes)
(Josephine)
Oh, it's terrible not being able
to come and see him properly.
Give him a hug.
-(Carrie) Yes, and change a nappy.
-(Boris) Yeah.
-(laughs) Yes.
-(Carrie laughs)
Er, the old team
back together again.
-Good to see you, boys.
-Good to see you, Prime Minister.
-Congratulations on your baby.
-Oh, thank you so much.
Well, shall we? "Once more
unto the breach, dear friends".
And so I can confirm today,
for the first time,
that we are past the peak
of this disease.
We are past the peak
and we are on the downward slope.
(reporter) The people were out
in the street again last night,
but the death toll continues
to rise as the government
faces questions
-about its handling of the crisis.
-(tense music playing)
(Wilfred crying)
(groans)
(sirens wailing in the distance)
(music concludes)
(doctor) How are you
this morning, Aisha?
(Aisha) Not good.
(doctor) Look, you've been
on this therapy now for 48 hours.
We don't want
to see you intubated, do we?
So, look,
I can start you on a trial.
You'll be given one of a series
of four drugs, which might help.
Might be a placebo. (clicks tongue)
Er, how do you feel about that?
You want to try?
(Aisha)
Well
We have requests
for more than 30,000 home tests,
so when Amazon send them out,
we will technically get over
the line of 100,000 capacity.
Excellent. Good job.
(Newton) But that does mean
we'll drop below
that margin tomorrow.
-(tense music playing)
-We can worry about that tomorrow.
At the beginning of last month,
I set a goal.
I can announce
that we have met our goal.
The number of tests yesterday,
on the last day of April
was 122,347.
Well, that's very convenient.
I know, last day of April.
It's lucky.
(doctor)
It's quite a wide-reaching trial.
What will she be having?
(doctor)
It'll be a drug or a placebo,
but it could really help
Aisha's recovery.
She'd also be helping
future patients
by being part of this trial.
Beta. Is it what you want?
(Aisha)
(sighs, in English) Okay.
Okay, you have our permission.
(reporter 1)
The Nightingale Hospital
in East London is to close.
The hospital,
which opened on the 3rd of April,
has 4,000 beds,
but has only had
54 patients in total.
The 12 patients being treated
there at the moment
are being transferred
to other London hospitals.
(reporter 2) The United Kingdom
has overtaken Italy
to report the highest official
death toll
from the new coronavirus in Europe,
increasing pressure
on Prime Minister Boris Johnson
over his response to the crisis.
Professor Neil Ferguson has quit
as a government advisor
on coronavirus
and after admitting breaking
the very rules he helped introduce.
I'm speechless.
Yes, I think it is absolutely
the right decision,
er, that that he resign.
I mean, I'm not allowed
to to get involved
in the operational decisions
of police matters.
So, when Matt Hancock said
there were 100,000 tests
that had been done, actually 40,000
of those tests were postal tests.
-So, how many tests did they do?
-We just don't know.
(Kier) But yesterday,
we learned, tragically
-(Wilfred crying)
-that at least 29,427 people
in the UK have now lost their lives
to this dreadful virus.
That's now the highest number
in Europe.
The UK was slow into lockdown,
slow on testing,
slow on tracing,
and slow on the supply
of protective equipment.
(indistinct chatter)
What a cunt.
(reporter) As the Red Arrows fly
over London to celebrate
the 75th anniversary of VE Day,
the British people are
once again facing a deadly enemy.
This time, the coronavirus.
(Queen Elizabeth) And when I look
at our country today,
and see what we are willing to do
to protect and support one another.
I say with pride
that we are still a nation
those brave soldiers, sailors,
and airmen would recognize
and admire.
-(music concludes)
-(Wilfred crying)
It's your turn.
-Hmm?
-(Wilfred cries)
-Oh, yes, yes, yes, Wilfred.
-(cries)
-Yes. Oh, Wilfred.
-(Wilfred cries)
-(yawns)
-(Lee) So, we have the new slogan.
(Boris) "Stay alert".
Really, "Stay alert"?
You see, the problem is that,
because our plan
is to gradually relax the rules,
then our messaging,
just by its very nature,
has to be kind of vague.
Now, "stay at home", that was great
'cause it's
it's simple and it's static,
but now, we're telling everyone
to exercise more now,
but then next week,
go to a garden centre
and then maybe go to work
if you can, but don't if you can't.
We have focus-grouped it.
(indistinct chatter)
Quarantine for people
arriving from abroad?
Yes. Well, there was an argument
for quarantine in the early stages.
We don't believe
that it makes sense
to quarantine now
unless it's from specific areas
with a very high amount of COVID.
People know that the virus
came here from abroad.
They want to know
it's not gonna happen again.
Statistically, Dom,
it makes little sense
to quarantine from a country
with a lower rate
of COVID than we have.
(Dominic)
We have focus-grouped this.
People don't want
their sacrifices to be wasted.
If we have one death arising
from the arrival of someone
from Italy, we will be blamed.
Yeah, I thought
we were being led by the science,
not by focus groups.
(tense music playing)
It is now almost two months
since the people of this country
began to put up with restrictions
on their free Oh, shit.
Okay, again, yeah.
-It is now (sighs)
-(mobile phone buzzes)
Yeah, I'm I'm
Yeah, I'm in the middle of filming.
Well, you'll find out tonight.
I know you're a cabinet minister.
I don't have fucking Alzheimer's.
Well, watch the broadcast tonight,
then you'll know
what the policy is,
like everybody else.
Oh, so, what are you
going to do, resign?
Stay alert, Gazza!
Stay a-fucking-lert!
Right! Where were we?
(birds chirping)
I am concerned about the lack
of transparency in recent spending.
Contracts with Public First
to bring in Gabriel Milland
with Topham Guerin
to bring in Ben Guerin.
And then the appointment
of Ben Warner's brother's company,
Faculty, to do data management.
We appointed people we trust,
the best people.
We're talking about hundreds
of millions of pounds
being spent on consultancy firms
with no open competition.
This could just look like jobs
for the boys.
I just thought you'd like to know
The Mirror want to talk to me.
What?
They've heard
that Cummings was up here
and somebody must have told them
that I'd seen him.
I I promise you,
we will get this story out. Please.
Look, I told you almost a month ago
that I'd seen him
and you've done absolutely nothing.
Can you not speak to The Mirror?
They must have a source.
(reporter) Rishi Sunak today
announced the continuation
of the furlough scheme.
Hello, Pippa, how are you?
So, collaboration.
Cooperation.
We'll need
some clearer ground rules.
-(Guardian reporter) Of course.
-I'll have to talk to my bosses.
(care worker) Thank you!
(reporter) The Equality
and Human Rights Commission
has said it's deeply concerned
by potential breaches
in the human rights of the elderly.
The government's strategy
has been to protect the NHS
from being overwhelmed,
but at what cost
to Britain's care homes?
So, we call our source "Abba".
All right, what are they like?
They're great,
very detailed, very precise,
very together.
What's Bluebell like?
Bluebell?
(Weaver)
Sorry, it's my name for them.
It's because of Cummings
talking about the Bluebells.
(Pippa) How do you know that?
Your source is a friend
of my source.
(Pippa) Oh, right.
-(Weaver) What are they like?
-Er.
Well, to be honest,
we haven't talked to them directly.
But you haven't,
but someone in The Mirror has.
Er, no, erm, they're too nervous
about being identified.
Shit.
Surely, you must have
the scientific evidence
you're able to tell me
at the base underpinning
the department's decision
to reopen schools for reception.
That was not
a departmental decision.
Er, that was a Cabinet decision.
(music concludes)
So, The Mail
are running with the story
that our school reopening plans
-are in chaos.
-Oh, well, that's rubbish.
(Dominic) Not surprising, really,
given the scientific officer's
performance
at the Select Committee.
His statement
was factually accurate.
It was idiotic.
It was correct in saying
that it was a Cabinet decision.
(Wilfred crying)
-(Carrie groans)
-No, I will. I wasn't asleep.
-(Wilfred crying)
-Shh.
There, Wilfred.
I I think he's hungry.
Oh, I'll get him.
You get some sleep, love. Come on.
Okay, okay, okay. Okay.
-(sighs)
-(tense music playing)
-(Carrie mumbles indistinctly)
-(Wilfred cooing)
(Bluebell)
We don't want any publicity.
Well, I don't know your names,
so there is no way anyone
can find out from us.
And you're sure
it was Dominic Cummings?
-(Bluebell) Yes.
-(Pippa) Was he alone?
(Bluebell)
No, he was with his wife.
I assume it was his wife.
A woman, anyway.
We passed them on the path.
Cummings said something
about the bluebells looking lovely.
(Guardian reporter)
We heard the recording.
We all agree the story seems good.
But we can't publish
without knowing who Bluebell is.
Yeah, I agree.
The relationship
between Dom and Sedwill
is at breaking point, I believe.
Mark believes
Dom is trying to push him out
and effectively take control
of the Civil Service.
Well, Okay. So what
what, is there a solution?
I think it would be
extremely disruptive
-to lose Mark now.
-Is he threatening to go?
We're already facing Philip Rutland
suing for constructive dismissal.
Dom wants to get rid
of Simon MacDonald
at the Foreign Office
after his Select Committee
performance.
And there are issues
at the Justice Department, too.
Yeah, but Dom wants us to transform
the way we govern, so, you know
I don't believe
that losing the head
of the Civil Service
in the middle of this crisis
is in the country's best interests?
I love Dom, but
you know, he's not
a chief executive,
he's not a manager, he's
-he's an ideas man.
-(music concludes)
(Kier) Does the Prime Minister
think that it's right
that care workers
coming from abroad
and working on our front line
should have to pay a surcharge
of hundreds,
sometimes thousands of pounds
to use the NHS themselves?
We've been deluged with complaints.
You can't have a Clap for Carers
and then tell them to pay up
for healthcare.
People hate it.
Focus group reports are explicit.
Right, so we, er
we cancel the charge, do we?
-Yeah.
-I agree.
Right, so if we're going
to change that,
I mean, couldn't someone
have seen this coming?
Hmm? I mean,
isn't it someone's actual job
to see what's coming towards us
and give me a heads up?
-(tense music playing)
-(birds chirping)
How are you
how are you feeling?
Er, well, to be honest,
a bit knackered, actually.
What was the, er (chuckles)
the the virus and the baby
and the job, you know?
What doesn't kill you
makes you stronger? (chuckles)
-What about you?
-Oh, I'm okay.
-(Boris) Yeah?
-Nothing too exciting.
It would be so good to see you,
you know, er, properly, you know,
when (stammers)
when this is over.
-Yeah.
-(Boris) Great.
Sounds good.
So, what can I do you for?
We've had a report
about Dominic Cummings
being up here
in Durham during lockdown.
Do you know anything
about that at all?
I was wondering when someone
would you ask me about that?
-Really?
-(policeman) Yeah.
We, er, spoke to the family.
Is this off the record?
You know, if you ask me
an official question,
I can give you
an official response.
Or we can run the story
on the basis
that the police have been
looking into it.
I'm nervous.
Downing Street have denied
this story before.
They denied the 19th.
They haven't denied the fifth.
If the police confirm.
We should give Downing Street
the right to respond.
-(mobile phone chimes)
-What the fuck?
(Gabriel) What?
Pippa says The Mirror
and The Guardian
are gonna run a story
on Dom being in Durham. Tomorrow.
Oh, fucking hell. Let me see.
They're asking for a comment.
Yeah, tell them they're cunts.
Fuck!
I'm not sure you can say
that to a journalist anymore.
(Dominic)
Modelling and policy development.
-I need you to understand
-Dom. Dom! I need a word.
Gotta do it.
(music concludes)
-Be back in a moment.
-(staff member 2) Yes, okay.
So, I've got The Mirror
and The Guardian
asking for a comment on a story
that you were in Durham
during lockdown.
No comment.
Okay, well they're gonna run
with it tomorrow.
No one cares where SPADs go
or what SPADs do.
It's just lobby bubble hot air.
All right.
I'll get Jack to deny it then.
No. I'll handle it.
-Well we can do it.
-(Dominic) I said I'll handle it.
Did the PM know you were up there?
Yeah.
When?
Before he went into hospital.
I don't remember exactly when.
-You know this is gonna get messy.
-I said I'll handle it.
-All right?
-(tense music playing)
(keyboard clacking)
So, according to the Met,
Durham Police are gonna confirm
the Mirror story.
I'll be working from home.
(Pippa) Into your room now.
You've got five minutes.
-Go, go, go. There you go.
-(mobile phone buzzing)
Well done.
(mobile phone buzzes)
-Hi, Jeremy?
-(Jeremy) Hi, Pippa. We've got it.
Yes.
It's all bullshit.
It's the same usual suspects,
The Mirror, The Guardian,
the fucking left-leaning cunts.
They're just trying to find titbits
to feed their readers.
Okay, so we're good to go?
8:00 p.m.
Let's synchronize our watches.
I didn't breach any guidelines.
I should fucking know.
I helped to write them.
My first ever front-page story.
-(Guardian reporter) Brilliant.
-(chuckles)
-(birds chirping)
-(breathes deeply)
(exhales)
(Carrie) He has to resign.
-But he doesn't want to.
-It's not a case of what he wants.
He's going to drag you down
with him.
Yeah, once they smell blood
they just want more,
you know, they're like sharks.
Well, you know, that makes them
sound way too glamorous,
they're like hyenas
and they're, you know
Once you're down and wounded
they gather around,
just keep on ploughing across
the savannah, ignoring them
and then
then they're too cowardly
to, you know, to
to come in for the kill.
(reporter) Boris Johnson gives
Dominic Cummings his full support.
The opposition says
it's double standards,
Labour's Rachel Reeves
calling for an investigation.
-I want to go to the playground.
-We can go to the playground.
(Cedd growls)
I can get off myself.
Did you see that?
I know! You're really good
at doing that.
Oh, we need Tiger.
We need Tiger. All right, come on.
-All right, let's go.
-(Cedd laughs)
All right, let's go.
-(Robin) Hello?
-Hi, is that Robin Lees?
It's Matthew Weaver
from The Guardian.
-That was quick.
-(Weaver) Yes.
Er, so, when did you think
you saw Cummings?
(Robin) I'm pretty sure it was him.
I can remember his number plate.
-It was on the 12th of April.
-You remember his number plate?
(Robin) Yeah, I've got
a good memory
for that sort of thing.
(journalist 1)
Morning, Mr Cummings.
Hey, guys. Social distancing.
Move that way.
Create a path through.
(journalist 2)
Are you getting ready to go?
(Dominic)
Who cares about good looks?
It's a question of doing
the right thing.
It's not about what you guys think.
Are you going to consider
your position, Mr Cummings?
(Dominic) Obviously not.
(journalist 3)
The public are probably very angry.
(Dominic) I don't think so.
You guys are probably as right
about that as you were
about Brexit.
Remember how right you were,
how right you all were about that?
Dom has sent us
a statement to issue.
-(music concludes)
-Where is Dom?
Er, judging by the TV news footage,
he's gone to the park.
(Boris)
But why isn't he in the office?
I think he's trying to signal
that he doesn't give a fuck.
Well, he better start
giving a fuck!
So, Number 10 have said,
at no stage was he or his family
spoken to by the police
about this matter,
as is being reported.
Well, that's just wrong.
We have the Durham Police statement
saying what he did was unwise
and frustrating.
Robin Lees is happy for us
to use his name.
-(mobile phone chimes)
-(Jack sighs)
Mirror and Guardian are claiming
Dom was in Barnard Castle
on the 12th and Durham on the 19th.
Well, no, we know
he was in Durham on the 12th.
Barnard Castle's not in Durham.
-Where is it?
-(Gabriel) Hang on.
Er, it's 24.4 miles away
on the fastest route.
Or 26.6 via Dentgate Lane.
Then what the fuck was he doing
in Barnard fucking Castle?
Call his number
until he fucking answers!
-Fuck!
-(tense music playing)
The important thing
is that everybody
stays in the same place
while in lockdown.
That's clearly
what happened in this case.
Now, the the Prime Minister
would have known
that Mr Cummings stayed put
and and didn't come out again
until he was feeling better
Did no one tell that fucking idiot
not open his mouth and talk shit?
Well, actually, I don't think
that technically is wrong.
(minister) the children,
keep following this advice.
In what way is it not wrong?
Well, presumably Dom
was feeling better
when he went to Barnard Castle.
Or else he wouldn't want to go
for a walk, would he?
Is that supposed to be a joke?
-Yes.
-(minister) In other words
Hi, Lee.
(Lee) Yeah, The Mirror
and The Guardian are saying
that you were in Barnard Castle
on the 12th. Is that right?
-They have a witness?
-Yeah.
They're also saying you were
in Houghall Woods on the 19th.
Now, you were down here
on the 14th,
so, what, does that mean
you went back up there?
That's not true.
I'll draft a response.
(reporter)
Dominic Cummings has faced
his own political mortality before.
Surely, now,
he's running out of lives.
-(birds chirping)
-(music concludes)
(Slack) Were you at Barnard Castle?
(Dominic) Yeah.
(Slack) When did you return
from Durham to London?
On the 13th.
(Slack) Well, what about this story
that you were there on the 19th?
I was in London on the 19th.
I have photos, data on my phone.
I was in London.
Perhaps the PM and I
could talk privately?
Sure. Sure.
How is, er, Mary?
She's finding it pretty difficult
at the moment.
-Yeah, I can imagine.
-(Dominic) It'll blow over.
Gabriel's organised
some focus groups.
Get a sense of whether
it's cutting through.
(Boris) Right, thanks, yeah.
-(door shutting)
-You do remember that I told you
I was in Durham on the phone?
Oh, come on, Dom.
It's not a question of what I feel
or think or believe
about you being in Durham.
And you know that.
We have almost five years
ahead of us.
There's a huge amount
of work to be done.
In five years' time,
no one will remember
Barnard Castle or Durham.
This is just a bit of bad weather.
It'll blow over.
(speaks Greek)
(in English)
"All men make mistakes.
The only crime is pride".
I don't believe it was a mistake
to go to Durham.
I was looking at some of the papers
from Imperial about the spread
of the virus,
They estimate that about
one and a half million people
were infected
by the time we locked down.
Two weeks earlier, that figure
would have been about 75,000.
Yeah, they were reported
in The Times yesterday.
Twenty-two days of dither and delay
that cost thousands of lives.
People have died
all over the world.
There were failures.
That's why we need
to change the system.
SAGE isn't fit for purpose.
PHE is a disaster.
The NHS is full of time-servers.
The Department of Health
is incompetent.
This crisis was a health crisis.
The next will be transport
or or work and pensions.
We need to use this disruption
to build a a different system
of government.
You complain a lot about failure
in government,
about how it's never punished,
sometimes rewarded,
but was this all their fault?
Is this big government
that isn't us?
I mean, haven't we failed?
MUSIC: "Zadok the Priest"
by George Frideric Handel.
I think we failed.
You fucked up, Dom.
Dominic Cummings is a complete
and utter waste and needs to go.
He's unscrupulous and selfish.
He should resign
and we should be concentrating
on more important issues.
(Wilfred crying)
-Good luck.
-Thank you.
Do I really have to say all this?
(sighs) Fuck's sake.
(song concludes)
-Don't touch the hair. Thanks.
-(Gazza) It's time.
(Boris) Er, good afternoon,
I want to begin by answering
the big question, er,
that people have been asking
in the last 48 hours.
I believe that in every respect
he has acted responsibly
and legally and
and with integrity.
And I have concluded, er,
that he followed the instincts
of every father and every parent.
Yes, Ian.
Did Dominic Cummings make a trip
to Barnard Castle in April
when he was isolating
or at least was based in Durham?
Er, again, I just
I repeat what I said earlier on.
I'm content, er, that at all times
throughout his period in isolation,
he behaved, er,
responsibly and correctly.
You know that is not
going to be the end of it.
-(Boris) Were you watching?
-Yes.
-He is going to bring you down.
-Good!
Sack him! Sack him,
sack him, sack him.
I'm gonna sack you one day.
Sack him. Is that a complaint?
I thought the whole point
of having a young girlfriend
was that you got lots
and lots of sex.
Yes, and babies.
Do you remember
that we have a baby?
Yeah. (sighs)
(Pippa) Hi, I got your email
about Dominic Cummings.
-We saw him here in Durham.
-(tense music playing)
-(Pippa) When?
-On the 19th of April.
-And where?
-(Clare) In Houghall Woods.
Yes. And you're sure
it was Dominic Cummings?
(Clare) Absolutely.
And you're willing to have
your names published?
(Clare) Oh, yeah.
(Carrie) That's The Mail.
Not The Mirror, The Mail.
You have got to get rid of him.
(Boris) What is the plan?
We need to draw
a line under this somehow.
It's not going to be easy.
In my opinion, and I'm sorry
to say this, but Dom has to go.
He can come back at a later date,
but right now he's causing
too much collateral damage.
Well, he doesn't want to go.
(sighs) I don't think it is right
that you go out there
and take the flak for Dom.
It's it's not right.
I agree.
(Lee) Maybe Dom
should make a statement.
We get him out there.
Dom talk in public? (chuckles)
He's not gonna like that.
Maybe then he'll understand
how angry people are.
(indistinct chatter)
-Coffee?
-No.
Gabriel's gonna pretend
to be a cross
between Peston and Kuenssberg.
-No, no. Pessburg.
-Give you a dry run.
Have you brought
a change of clothes?
No.
Cleo?
Get him something sensible to wear.
Hey, Nicola.
They've announced Cummings
is doing a press conference today
in Downing Street.
I'm running the lobby today,
but I can't go in.
I've got the kids.
Can you cover for me?
(Gabriel) So, why did you travel
to Barnard Castle?
(Dominic) To make sure
that I was okay to drive to London.
Er, weren't you putting
other people at risk?
No, because we socially distanced
at all times.
When you found out
your wife had the virus,
-you went home immediately?
-Yeah, to check that she was okay.
But then you came back
into Downing Street,
a busy office,
after having been in contact
with someone with the virus.
Wasn't that in breach
of the guidelines?
Weren't you risking infecting
your colleagues?
I could
I could say that
I socially distanced at the office.
Why didn't you just have the stuff
you needed sent home?
(music concludes)
(journalist)
Do you think he's done a runner?
(chuckles)
-(indistinct chatter)
-(tense music playing)
Good luck.
-(Cleo) Good luck.
-Thank you.
Hi there.
Sorry I'm late.
Good afternoon. Thanks for coming.
Yesterday, I gave a full account
to the Prime Minister of my actions
between the 27th of March
and the 14th of April.
Of what I thought and did.
And he has asked me to repeat
that account directly to you.
I know that millions
of people in this country
have been suffering,
thousands have died.
Many are angry
about what they've seen
in the media about my actions.
On Sunday, the 12th of April,
15 days after I first
displayed symptoms,
I decided to return to work.
My wife was very worried,
particularly given
my eyesight seemed
seemed to have been affected
by the disease
What the fuck?
He never said that to me.
(Dominic) I took a short drive
to see if I could drive safely
Why doesn't
he just fucking apologise?
and ended up on the outskirts
of Barnard Castle town.
In the last few days,
there have been many media reports
that I returned to Durham
after the 13th of April.
All these stories are false.
There is a particular report
that I returned there
on the 19th of April.
Photos and data on my phone
prove this to be false.
Fuck.
Last year, I wrote
about the possible threat
of coronaviruses
and the urgent need for planning.
For years, I warned
of the dangers of pandemics.
The truth is that I had argued
for lockdown.
I did not oppose it.
I wanted to explain what I thought
because I think that people
like me who help to make the rules
should be accountable
for their actions.
(keyboard clacking)
Let me just say at the outset
that I can't speak on behalf
of special advisors
as that is not my job.
Erm, yes.
(Tim) When you told us
that Dominic Cummings
was isolating, quote,
"at home", did you know
at home meant Durham?
-Or did you think it was London?
-Er, no.
Erm, the context of my answer
was just pointing out
that he wasn't at work.
Yeah, but you said he was at home.
I was just pointing out
that he wasn't at work.
(reporter 1)
You told us he was at home.
It seems odd you would tell us
that without knowing where he was.
I was just pointing out
that he wasn't at work.
I actually think
that you've been quite brave.
Brave in the way
that you've been
prepared to sacrifice
the credibility
and popularity
of your own government
just to stand by your man.
You somehow managed
to unite a nation in condemnation
and indignation over your handling
of Mr Cummings.
Prime Minister, you said
that a number of the allegations
that are made about
Dominic Cummings were false.
You were with him for six hours.
Did you see the evidence
to prove that?
Er, Meg, you know, I don't want
to I don't want to
(Meg) Yes or no, Prime Minister?
It's a simple question.
Did you see the evidence?
If if it pleased you,
I'd say yes, I did,
but, you know, I don't want to
I don't want to, in any way,
cloud, you know, issues. Er
We have to run the Edwards' story.
They are the perfect witnesses.
She's a nurse, he's supplied
Nightingale hospitals, he's a Tory.
They are really clear,
and they're willing to be named.
Cummings has said very clearly
that this is not true.
Exactly, we've got him.
And the PM said
that he'd seen the evidence.
Exactly, we've got him too.
Cummings has specifically
said this story is untrue.
If we print this, and then
he brings out his phone records
and proves he was in London,
then we're fucked.
(sighs) Okay. All right.
Well, bye for now then, guys.
-(music concludes)
-Okay. Thank you. Bye-bye.
(breathes deeply)
Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!
(sighs) Oh, er, sorry, sweetheart.
(breathes deeply)
Bad day at the office.
(dramatic music playing)
(door shutting)
What?
-Can I have a word about this?
-No, not a good time.
(music concludes)
-(Boris) Can I ask one question?
-(Dominic) Of course.
Why did you change your blog
retrofit it to include coronavirus?
I mean, didn't you
didn't you know
that people would be able
to find that out?
I mean, are you not tech savvy?
I mean, why
why do you have to try to show
that you had predicted
the pandemic on your own
like some fucking super forecaster?
(speaks Greek)
-(in English) I don't speak Greek.
-Yeah, and I'm not gonna translate!
(dramatic music playing)
(crowd cheering, applauding)
(Boris) "This royal throne
of kings, this sceptered isle,
this earth of majesty,
this seat of Mars,
this other Eden demi-paradise,
this fortress built by nature
for herself against infection,
or the hand of war,
this happy breed of men,
this little world".
"This precious stone,
set in the silver sea
which serves it
in the office of a wall,
or as a moat, defensive to a house
against the envy
of less happier lands".
"This blessed plot,
this earth, this realm".
"This England".
We usually leave it there,
you know, forget the rest.
"This England
whose rocky shore beats back
the envious siege
of watery Neptune
is now bound in with shame
with inky blots
and rotten parchment bonds".
(music concludes)
(Boris) "That England
that was wont to conquer others
hath made
a shameful conquest of itself".
"Ah, would the scandal vanish
with my life".
"How happy then
were my ensuing death".
You're not going to die.
No.
You're right.
(tense music playing)
I think in retrospect, it's clear
that the official plan was wrong.
It's clear that the whole advice
was wrong.
And I think it's clear that we,
obviously, should have locked down
essentially the the first week
of March at the latest.
The truth is that senior ministers,
senior officials,
senior advisors like me
fell disastrously short
of the standards
that the public
has a right to expect
of its government
in a crisis like this.
(indistinct chatter)
(customer) Thank you.
In England, from today,
we're once again asking you
to stay at home.
It's completely crackers
that someone like me
should have been in there,
just the same as it's crackers
that Boris Johnson was in there.
It is with a very heavy heart,
I must tell you, we cannot continue
with Christmas as planned.
-I paid the fine immediately
-(indistinct chatter)
and I offered the British people
a full apology.
It is clearly now the will
of, er, the Parliamentary
Conservative Party
that there should be
a new leader of that party
and therefore,
a new Prime Minister.
(crowd cheering, applauding)
(music concludes)