Dominic Raab is described as being pretty laser-focused at the cabinet meetings he holdsWhen Matt Hancock was told last week that Neil Ferguson, a key government adviser, had urged ministers to accelerate plans for the exit strategy, his response was terse: “He advises government, he’s not in government.”In the absence of Boris Johnson, however, several of Mr Hancock’s cabinet colleagues are increasingly concerned that the scientists are effectively in charge. “Nobody is willing to take any political risk,” one minister said. “We are in a holding pattern until Boris gets back.”Mr Johnson has taken seriously the advice of doctors that he needs to rest after spending three days in intensive care. As he recovers at Chequers with Carrie Symonds, his pregnant fiancée, Mr Johnson has largely limited himself to exchanging texts with colleagues.

Source: The Times April 17, 2020 23:01 UTC