Are public inquiries a good way for government to learn lessons?

On 20 November, the UK Covid-19 Inquiry published its second report – four and a half years after the inquiry was first announced by Boris Johnson. This report – which follows July’s report on resilience and preparedness – focuses on political and administrative decision making in the UK government during the pandemic, including from the perspectives of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

What does this report reveal about how government operated during the pandemic? What are its lessons for how future governments approach crisis management and preparedness? What has the Covid Inquiry taught us about the need for reforming how inquiries are run? And how should the government approach this challenge?

To explore these questions and more, we were joined by an expert panel including:

Vimbai Dzimwasha, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government

Dr Rebecca McKee, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government

Katie Lines, Senior Research Fellow at the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law

Jim Reed, Health Reporter at the BBC

The event was chaired by Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

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