Fury of teacher who lost father to Covid and met PM in party garden

Boris Johnson was blasted by a bereaved teacher who lost her father to Covid today, saying his actions left her feeling ‘sick’.

Teacher Hannah Brady, 25, was among members of five families who met Mr Johnson at Downing Street last September to represent the Covid-19 Bereaved Families For Justice Group. 

Her father Shaun died in May 2020 and his  death certificate was signed on May 20, – the day Mr Johnson attended a boozy party in the garden.

Her loss was raised by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer today as Mr Johnson made an embarrassing apology for his actions at the height of lockdown.

In a damning Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir described Mr Johnson as a ‘man without shame’, adding: ‘Her father died just days before the drinks trolley was being wheeled through Downing Street.’

Ms Brady told Sky News: ‘At the time, everyone would have known that going to a party was wrong, so how can those running the country have thought it was ok? 

‘Could there be a more disgraceful example of ”one rule for them, and another rule for the rest of us”?

‘To make matters worse, in September last year I sat in that same garden, looked the prime minister in the eyes and told him how my dad had died.

‘He told me he had ‘done everything he could’ to protect my dad, knowing that he had partied in that same spot the very day that dad’s death certificate was signed.

‘It makes me feel sick to think about it.’

Mr Johnson today finally admitted he went to a ‘party’ in the Downing Street garden at the height of lockdown – but argued he thought it was a ‘work event’ and ‘technically’ within the rules.

At a stormy PMQs, Mr Johnson said he wanted to ‘thank’ staff at the event in May 2020 but recognised that in ‘hindsight’ it should not have happened.

He said he understood public ‘fury’ and ‘took responsibility’, but said he had believed it was a work event.

‘I bitterly regret it. I wish we could have done things differently,’ he said.

However, backing from the Tory benches seemed muted – and Keir Starmer responded that Mr Johnson should do the ‘decent thing and resign’, saying the public thinks he is ‘lying through his teeth’.

‘The party is over, Prime Minister,’ he said, adding: ‘The Prime Minister told Hannah he had done everything he could to protect her dad. 

‘Looking back, what Hannah told me last night was this – she realises the Prime Minister had partied in that same garden the very day her dad’s death certificate was signed.

‘What Hannah wants to know is this: does the Prime Minister understand why it makes her feel sick to think about the way he’s behaved?’

Mr Johnson replied: ‘I sympathise deeply with Hannah, with people who have suffered up and down this country during the pandemic, and I repeat that I wish things had been done differently on that evening, and I repeat my apology for all the misjudgments that may have been made, that were made on my watch in No 10 and across the Government.

‘I want to reassure the people of this country, including Hannah and her family, that we have been working to do everything we can to protect her and her family.’

The picture is looking increasingly grim for the premier with Tories up in arms following the emergence of a bombshell email from his top civil servant inviting 100 staff to the event.

He tried to calm the situation by making comments at the start of the PMQs session, after Red Wall MPs joined calls for him to stop ‘defending the indefensible’ and say whether he and Carrie attended the drinks do. Up to now he has batted away questions by pointing out that senior mandarin Sue Gray is carrying out an investigation.

Challenged on whether he would resign if she found he breached lockdown rules, Mr Johnson merely said he would respond ‘appropriately’.

© Provided by Daily Mail
The picture is looking increasingly grim for the premier with Tories up in arms following the emergence of a bombshell email from his top civil servant inviting 100 staff to the event.

Sir Keir added: ‘That apology was pretty worthless, wasn’t it?’

He said ‘it matters’ and explained that MPs gave ‘heart-wrenching stories about the sacrifices people across the country were making’. Sir Keir said the House and country were ‘moved’ by comments from DUP MP Jim Shannon.

Sir Keir said: ‘He was following the rules whilst the Prime Minister was partying in Downing Street. Is the Prime Minister really so contemptuous of the British public that he thinks he can just ride this out?’

Boris Johnson said he heard the testimony of Mr Shannon and said ‘it was deeply moving’.

He said: ‘I know that people up and down the country made huge sacrifices throughout this pandemic and I understand the anger, the rage that they feel at the thought that people in Downing Street were not following those rules.

‘I regret the way the event I have described was handled. I bitterly regret it. And wish that we could have done things differently. I have and will continue to apologise for what we did, but he must wait for the inquiry, which will report as soon as possible.’

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