Boris Johnson’s Downing Street lockdown evidence is torture, say Covid survivors

People bereaveved by Covid described Boris Johnson's evidence to MPs about Downing Street lockdown events as torture and accused him of pulling his usual tricks of deflection, self pity and blame Fighting for his political future. Johnson strongly denied misleading Parliament in a marathon session in front of the Commons privileges committee. Deborah Doyle, 55, whose mother Sylvia Griffiths died in a care home in Sunderland from Covid, said his evidence that Downing Street gatherings during tough social distancing rules were essential for work purposes was painful and made her angry.

Only seven people were allowed to attend her mother's funeral and were not even allowed to gather outside for a wake to remember her life.

She said that the government was under a lot of pressure. So were the NHS and people at home, people who couldn't be with their loved ones like me, who had restricted funerals Her mother's funeral in Spring 2020 happened around the time Johnson's wife and aides and civil servants met in the Downing Street garden. The penalty notices were fixed by the police.

She said Johnson sat with family and friends like they did, and Johnson argued that it was important to say goodbye to staff members leaving, when she and thousands of others couldn't see their loved ones in hospital before they died.

She said Gareth must have been absolutely terrified, describing her husband's last days. It is awful. Johnson talked so flippantly about saying goodbye to a colleague. He kept blaming advisers and that was terrible. He was the leader. He set the tone. Saleyha Ahsan lost her father to Covid in December 2020 and worked as a doctor in intensive care units. She said Johnson's claim that hosting events in Downing Streets was necessary made her furious. After the cross-party committee showed former prime minister pictures of an event on November 27, 2020 attended by Johnson and more than 20 others, he said officials needed to be thanked and appreciated for their work in very difficult circumstances. Ahsan said one of the only times doctors would break social distancing guidelines was to work in teams to turn a struggling Covid patient who needed to be lain prone or to attempt life

She said that even when we had breaks coming out of the PPE in a red zone, we had a defined number of people allowed in the staff room at one time.

Johnson said of one leaving gathering, "I believe this event was essential for work purposes." Ahsan's father, Ahsan-ul-Haq Chaudry, 81, was put on oxygen on the day Downing Street aide Allegra Stratton was filmed joked with colleagues about Downing Street gatherings not being socially distanced. He died on 28 December 2020 from Covid.

When Johnson said it was not realistic to operate in Downing Street in a socially distanced way, Ahsan said: We absolutely did that and it was the right thing to do. She said I am furious. This is just someone trying to save their political career. Rivka Gottlieb, a spokesman for the Covid 19 Bereaved Families for Justice campaign group, described the hearing as a new low for Johnson.

She said that it was painful for his family to watch him pull his tricks of deflection, self pity and blame everyone but himself. It is particularly galling that he didn't fully understand the rules he was setting and communicating to the nation. He isn't fit for public office and if had any respect, he d resign as MP and quietly reflect on the pain and suffering he has inflicted on so many.