UK Covid-19 Inquiry Web
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson began his testimony on Wednesday as part of a public inquiry into the United Kingdom’s haphazard handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson attempted to apologize for the thousands of lives lost to Covid-19 during his time in office, but was interrupted by protesters.
Johnson gave his evidence on Wednesday morning at the UK’s public Covid inquiry, which the former leader launched in May 2021.
During his opening statement, Johnson was heckled by protesters believed to be from a group of families who lost loved ones during the pandemic.
Four people stood as Johnson began to apologize, holding signs that read “The dead cannot hear your apology,” British news agency PA Media reported. The protesters were then excluded from the hearing by investigator Heather Hallet.
One of them, 59-year-old Kathryn Butcher, later told the agency: “We didn’t want his apology. When he tried to apologize, we stood up. We didn’t block anyone. We were told to sit down.”
Butcher, originally from London, told PA Media that her 56-year-old sister-in-law Myrna Saunders died of Covid-19 in March 2020, adding that Johnson saw protesters’ signs during the protest.
More than 200,000 people have been killed by the coronavirus during the pandemic in the United Kingdom, one of the highest death tolls in Europe, and Johnson’s government has been widely criticized for its response.
“I understand the feelings of these victims and their families and am deeply sorry for the pain, loss and suffering of these victims and their families,” Johnson said.
“I hope that this inquiry will help to find answers to the very difficult questions that the victims in these families are rightly asking,” the former Prime Minister continued in his opening speech.
Although he began with an apology, Johnson declined to point to specific mistakes he said he or his government made.
He further defended his actions during the pandemic, saying, “I think we did the best we could at the time, given what we knew, given the information that was available to me at the time.” He continued, “There were things that we should have done differently? Undoubtedly.”
Johnson’s behavior during this period has been heavily scrutinized based on evidence presented by others as part of the inquiry, suggesting that his administration has allowed a culture that prohibits making correct decisions.
The investigation is currently examining how Johnson and his leadership team made decisions such as introducing lockdowns and why certain decisions were made at certain times. Johnson’s testimony to the inquiry has already attracted negative headlines as WhatsApp messages requested from his personal phone could not be forwarded to the inquiry due to a technical issue.
Some of Johnson’s most senior former advisers have suggested that Johnson was “stunned” by the science presented to him, while his former chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, was vocal in his criticism of Johnson’s leadership style, comparing him to an outsider-steering shopping cart.
Asked whether he thought it was unusual for advisers and officials to be as critical of a leader during the pandemic as Johnson was – including on the question of his own competence – the former prime minister replied: “No, I think that’s completely wrong .” to be expected”
While still in office, Johnson became the first sitting prime minister to be fined by police for breaking his own Covid lockdown rules. The “Partygate” scandal, in which members of his team – and the then prime minister himself – attended events that breached national Covid rules, was a key factor in Johnson losing the support of his ruling Conservative Party and ending his term in office .
CNN’s Jessie Gretener contributed to this report.