Infected Blood Inquiry: Shifty Sunak seems evasive… once more

For somebody who’s purported to be a particulars man, Rishi Sunak clearly does not like being subjected to forensic interrogation.

At a painful look earlier than the Infected Blood Inquiry, it did not assist the prime minister’s temper when he was loudly heckled early on by members of the general public listening to his proof.

But it obtained worse and worse. And the finale, after almost two hours, was excruciating for Mr Sunak when the inquiry chairman, Sir Brian Langstaff, delivered a robust lecture that had the PM squirming in his seat.

Politics dwell: Infected Blood Inquiry ends with applause for chair’s message to Sunak

Actions fairly than phrases had been wanted, mentioned Sir Brian – a retired choose who has been credited with chairing this inquiry brilliantly.

It was a robust climax to a day of pressure and tetchiness.

In a devastating name for the PM to behave on paying compensation with out extra delay, Sir Brian declared: “Because if it troubles my conscience, I would think it will trouble the conscience of a caring government.”

Ouch!

It was emotional, it was dramatic and it was greeted by a rousing spherical of applause by the general public within the big lodge ballroom. A chastened and embarrassed Mr Sunak appeared to sink even decrease into his seat.

Throughout Sir Brian’s stirring remaining phrases, Mr Sunak had sat like a naughty schoolboy being given a stern lecture by the headmaster.

The greatest he might say in response on the finish was fairly feebly to repeat his opening assertion, that the blood scandal had been appalling – an announcement of the apparent that can have completed nothing to reassure these affected by it

The heckling had come when the PM advised the grieving households their lengthy anticipate compensation must proceed.

There had been no assurances or guarantees of a timetable about when the federal government pays up.

We’d already seen the tetchy and prickly aspect to the PM’s character when he appeared earlier than the Liaison Committee of senior MPs within the Commons three weeks in the past.

At the start of that listening to, he haughtily introduced he had a “pressing engagement” – which turned out to be nothing greater than a photocall – in 90 minutes’ time.

And all through that shifty and evasive efficiency on the committee, Mr Sunak appeared he wished he was some place else and could not be bothered.

But that was nothing in comparison with his grumpy and at instances surly method right here earlier than the inquiry, during which his derisory physique language revealed he was hating each minute.

Once once more, like on the Liaison Committee, his solutions had been evasive. He would not give any pledges on compensation or promise laws within the subsequent King’s Speech due in November.

This time, as a substitute of MPs, the PM confronted only one interrogator – the counsel to the inquiry, the formidable Jenni Richards KC.

Unlike the theatrical and flamboyant KCs of the felony courts, there’s nothing flashy about Ms Richards. But she’s simply as efficient and her probing obtained proper underneath the PM’s pores and skin.

He shuffled round in his seat, averted eye contact together with her as she requested her questions, seemed down at his lap the place maybe he had a cellphone or iPad hidden from view.

When Sir Brian briefly talked about the media, Mr Sunak glared on the press benches within the corridor.

And, at one level, because the questioning obtained an increasing number of uncomfortable, horror of horrors, the prime minister appeared to take a look at his watch. Surely not?

There had been no urgent engagements – or perhaps a photocall – to let him escape this time.

It’s by no means a superb look. And an absolute no-no for politicians underneath stress.

It was claimed George Bush Senior by no means recovered from his watch throughout a TV debate with Bill Clinton in 1992.

Sir Brian’s dramatic peroration, however, can have enhanced his already well-established fame as a devoted and distinguished public servant who takes no prisoners when he is within the chair.

His spectacular chairmanship may also be seen as having created a mannequin for the doubtless devastating COVID inquiry to come back.

And Mr Sunak will definitely have to be on high of the element and fewer evasive when he seems earlier than that inquiry.