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Welcome to The Restless Politics question time with me, Rory Stewart.

And me, Alistair Campbell.

Rory, should we kick off with the Covid Inquiry, Renaissance Girl.

Watching Martin Reynolds at the Covid Inquiry,

I'd like to know exactly what the job of a PPS is.

Also, is it credible for him to claim that in February to March 2020,

he knew little of what was happening and didn't feel it was his job

to speak to the PM about the worst thing situation in Italy?

PPS means principle private secretary. That's a kind of very senior civil service position

who tends to sit pretty close to the Prime Minister, sees all the papers

that are going to the Prime Minister, decides what the Prime Minister should prioritize,

et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

And what I think we're seeing at the Covid Inquiry, Rory, it's even worse.

I mean, during Covid, I was very manic. I now realize I was very manic.

I was getting up at four or five o'clock in the morning.

I was writing thousands of blogs. I was publishing articles in magazines

and newspapers around the world. And I was absolutely horrified

by the nature of what our government had become.

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