Watching the coverage of the Covid inquiry is like a step back in time to the early days of the pandemic – and the issues it raised for central and local government. More than anything, it's a stark reminder of the chaos, calamity and confusion at the top.

Former health secretary Matt Hancock has been brutally honest about his department's failure to plan for such a pandemic – even as late as January 2020, by which time it was becoming apparent that we faced a health crisis.