Dominic Raab fails to inspire confidence as UK cabinet wobbles in Boris Johnson’s absence

Boris Johnson’s cabinet remains split about how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic as the PM languishes in intensive care.

London police officers on duty on the South Bank, outside St Thomas' Hospital, where British PM Boris Johnson is in intensive care. Picture: AFP

Boris Johnson’s cabinet remains split about how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, and MPs are hopeful the Prime Minister can provide some direction from his London hospital bed, where he ­remains in a stable condition after two nights in intensive care.

Before contracting coronavirus, Mr Johnson had told the country the lockdown measures would be reviewed at the end of Easter, and that 100,000 tests would be implemented by the end of the month — both of which now appear to be merely aspirational.

Caretaker leader and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab assured the public that the cabinet was calm and determined to defeat the virus and said it was following scientific and medical advice, and deliberately taking the right steps at the right moment.

However, Mr Raab failed to elucidate what those steps might be, beyond saying the country hadn’t yet reached the peak of virus infections. He also ducked questions about the chain of command and his authority, saying only that all decisions would be made by cabinet.

The lack of clarity about who can make crucial national decisions comes as ministers jostle for authority. While Mr Raab, a lawyer and arch Brexiteer, has the full support of Mr Johnson, Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who has recovered from the coronavirus, made grandiose, chest-thumping claims about implementing a battery of tests before the end of April.

When asked further about these tests, Mr Raab pointedly said the announcement was made by the Health Secretary, effectively washing his hands of the debacle where daily testing is up to only 15,000, well below the 100,000 target.

Michael Gove, another high-profile minister who was widely talking about Mr Johnson’s condition on Tuesday, had his visibility decline just hours later when he had to self-isolate because a family member had come down with coronavirus symptoms.

Insiders hope Mr Johnson, who has been receiving care from St Thomas’ Hospital’s leading lung experts, will recover quickly enough to make a few strategic ­decisions and “bang some heads together’’.

Some cabinet members, such as Chancellor Rishi Sunak, want the isolation measures eased because hospitals have excess capacity and he wants the economy to be able to withstand complete collapse. But others, such as Mr Hancock, say such a move is premature and could result in a devastating second wave of illness. However, the issue is likely to continue to simmer as the excess hospital capacity is at odds with the fierce public messaging about “protecting the National Health Service’’.

Mr Raab made optimistic claims on Tuesday that the Prime Minister would be “back leading us in very short order’’.

On Tuesday night, Mr Raab said it was worth remembering that Mr Johnson’s serious illness — the first to a serving prime minister in over a generation — has been a shock to those in cabinet as well as across the country.

“He is not just the PM, he is not just a boss, he is also a colleague and is also our friend; all our thoughts are with (Mr Johnson’s fiancee) Carrie (Symonds) and his whole ­family,’’ Mr Raab said.

“I’m confident he will pull through because if there is one thing I know of this Prime Minister, he is a fighter.

“He will be back at the helm leading us through this crisis in very short order.’’

The Queen has sent Mr Johnson and Ms Symonds her best personal wishes.

Mr Johnson is not on a ventilator and is breathing on his own, but his admission to intensive care on Monday night, 11 days after contracting the virus, indicates that he may be in hospital for many days. If the virus gets into the lungs, coronavirus patients are usually in hospital for at least 10 days. If his condition worsens further and he is intubated, the odds of Mr Johnson surviving plummets to about 50 per cent.

“He remained stable overnight, he’s receiving standard oxygen treatment and breathing without any assistance,” Mr Raab said.

“He has not required mechanical ventilation or non-invasive respiratory support.’’

Mr Raab indicated that Mr Johnson had left very detailed and clear instructions about how the cabinet should deal with the coronavirus pandemic, but it has become obvious that without Mr Johnson’s guidance the cabinet appears disjointed.

Chief Scientific Officer Patrick Vallance said he expected to see Britain’s death rates fall in two or three weeks. He added that the country was on track to flatten the curve after home isolation was ­imposed on March 23.

On Tuesday, there were 786 deaths, bringing the total deaths to 6159, but the numbers of new coronavirus cases continued to decline.

“There is not that big upswing; it is possible that we are seeing the beginning of change, the curve flattening a bit … we are not seeing an acceleration.’’