Boris Johnson reveals he turned down meeting with families of Covid victims due to on-going legal challenge – after being branded ‘heartless’ for snubbing five requests to speak to bereaved
- Prime Minister said ‘of course I’ll meet the bereaved’ when questioned last week
- But letter has since emerged in which he said he would not be able to meet them
- Campaigner Jo Goodman criticised Mr Johnson for turning down her request
- Today the PM insisted he could not meet families because of a legal challenge
Boris Johnson today insisted he had to turn down a meeting with the families of Covid victims due to an ongoing legal challenge – after being branded ‘heartless’ for snubbing five requests to speak to the bereaved.
The Prime Minister added he will ‘certainly’ meet them once the litigation is concluded when asked by Sir Keir Starmer.
Mr Johnson had earlier said ‘of course I will meet the bereaved’ when questioned last week in an interview about attempts by the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group to secure a meeting.
But the campaigners trying to secure a swift public inquiry into the Government’s handling of the crisis shared a letter from Mr Johnson in which he ‘regrettably’ declined to meet with the group.
The Prime Minister – pictured yesterday – said ‘of course I will meet the bereaved’ when questioned last week in an interview about attempts by the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group to secure a meeting
Labour leader Sir Keir told the Commons: ‘Before the recess, I asked him if he would meet with the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group.
‘I had the privilege of meeting the families on July 15. They gave me incredibly moving accounts of how Covid-19 had taken their loved ones from them.
‘On Sky News last week, the Prime Minister was asked if he would meet the families and he said, and I quote, ‘Of course I will meet the bereaved, of course I will do that’.
‘But yesterday they received a letter from the Prime Minister saying that meeting them was now ‘regrettably not possible’. The Prime Minister will understand the frustration and the hurt of those families that he said one thing to camera and another thing to them.’
Responding, the Prime Minister said: ‘It’s absolutely typical of him that he should frame it in that way… of course I would be very happy to meet the families of the bereaved and sympathise deeply with all those who have lost loved ones throughout this pandemic and we all feel their pain and their grief.
‘It turns out that this particular group that he refers to are currently in litigation against the Government and I will certainly meet them once that litigation is concluded.’
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran had earlier written to the Prime Minister saying she was ‘shocked’ to learn that he had ‘refused’ to meet the group – which says it represents 1,600 families.
On Wednesday, Mr Johnson told Sky News: ‘I am not aware of those letters but I will of course write back to every letter we get.
‘Of course I will meet the bereaved.’
But writing to Ms Goodman, the Prime Minister acknowledged ‘a letter will be of little comfort against the grief and heartbreak that families have suffered’ as he declined a meeting.
‘As much as I would wish to be able to offer my condolences in person to all those who have suffered loss, that is regrettably not possible and so I am unable to meet with you and members of Bereaved Families for Justice,’ he wrote.
Mr Johnson also said he understands the group have instructed solicitors who are in pre-action legal correspondence over an independent inquiry.
He said he will hold the inquiry ‘at the appropriate time’ and urged all further correspondence to be dealt with by their respective legal teams.
Mr Johnson wrote a letter to say it would not be possible for him to meet the bereaved families of Covid victims
But he was criticised by campaigner Jo Goodman, who lost her father Stuart to the virus.
‘It’s a U-turn followed by a U-turn,’ he said. ‘The Prime Minister has done a 360: dodging five letters, then agreeing on live TV to meet with us, and now quietly telling us he’s too busy. It’s heartless.’
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: ‘The Prime Minister has responded to Bereaved Families For Justice to express his sincere condolences to all families who have sadly lost loved ones to this terrible disease.
‘He remains committed to meeting with members of the public and families of key workers who have been bereaved as a result of Covid-19.
‘The Prime Minister is resolute in his determination to beat this virus and prevent further families from suffering such dreadful loss.’