Johnson denies lying to the public and parliament
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a grilling by a parliamentary committee on Wednesday, where he defended his government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and denied lying to the public and parliament. He also rejected the allegations made by his former chief adviser Dominic Cummings, who accused him of being unfit for office and responsible for thousands of deaths.
Johnson claimed that he had followed the scientific advice at every stage of the crisis and that he had acted with “the intention to save life and minimise suffering”. He also said that he did not regret delaying the second lockdown in October 2020, despite admitting that it was a “very difficult decision” that had a “huge” impact on lives and livelihoods.
He also dismissed the suggestion that he had said he would rather see “bodies pile high” than impose another lockdown, calling it a “total fabrication”. He said that he was “frankly sick and tired” of hearing such allegations, which he said were “intended to undermine confidence in the government”.
Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group expresses anger and disappointment
However, Johnson’s testimony did not satisfy the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, which represents more than 3,000 families who have lost loved ones to the virus. The group said that Johnson’s answers were “insulting and hurtful” to the bereaved and that he had shown “no remorse or accountability” for his actions.
The group’s co-founder, Jo Goodman, who lost her father to Covid-19, said that Johnson had “dodged questions, avoided responsibility and insulted the bereaved”. She said that he had “failed to answer why he ignored the scientific advice and delayed lockdowns, why he said he would rather see bodies pile high than lock down again, and why he refused to meet with us to hear our experiences and concerns”.
She also said that Johnson had “lied” about offering a statutory public inquiry into the pandemic, which the group has been campaigning for. She said that Johnson had promised to launch the inquiry within this parliament, but had not given a clear timeline or terms of reference. She said that the group wanted the inquiry to start as soon as possible, before more lives are lost or memories fade.
The UK has one of the highest Covid-19 death tolls in the world
The UK has recorded more than 150,000 deaths from Covid-19, according to official figures, making it one of the worst-hit countries in the world. The government has faced criticism for its delayed and inconsistent response to the pandemic, as well as for its lack of transparency and accountability.
The parliamentary committee, which is chaired by former health secretary Jeremy Hunt, is conducting an inquiry into the government’s actions and decisions during the pandemic. It has heard evidence from various experts, officials and ministers, including Cummings, who gave a damning testimony last month.
The committee is expected to publish its report later this year, but it is not clear whether it will have any impact on the government or the public opinion. The government has said that it will learn from the mistakes and successes of the pandemic, but has also claimed that it has done “everything we could” to protect the people and the country.
