Families’ fury as PM ignores plea for probe
MORE than 1,000 people who have lost relatives to Covid-19 last night warned Boris Johnson: “Stop ignoring us.”
They accuse the Prime Minister of running scared from holding a public inquiry over the shambolic handling of the pandemic.
Lawyers representing group Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice filed a petition calling for an immediate probe on June 11.
They asked for a response by Friday – but did not even get a basic acknowledgment.
Group co-founder Jo Goodman, 31, lost dad Stuart, 72, on April 2. Jo, of Norwich, said: “Every day we hear the Government offer condolences to those bereaved.
“But not only have they ignored our invitation to meet, they haven’t even had the courtesy to respond to our petition. It’s no wonder grieving families feel forgotten. It’s time for Boris Johnson to stop ignoring us.”
The group says an immediate limited-scope inquiry could save lives in the event of a second spike.
Member Patricia Withers, 58, lost her mother Elizabeth Newsome, 91, in April. She was among 11 to die in an outbreak at a care home in Southport, Merseyside.
Patricia said: “[Health Minister] Matt Hancock said he threw a protective ring around care homes but it’s nonsense.
“Care homes, and the vulnerable people inside them, have been failed. Somebody has got to be accountable for the mess we are in.”
The Tories have repeatedly rejected calls for a public inquiry. But the group’s lawyer, Leanne Devine, said there was a “compelling need”.
She said: “We made a request for [the PM] to meet families or, at least, give a response by Friday. We heard nothing. Within that week, the group doubled from 450 to 1,000. So while the Government’s silence is deafening, the voice of these families is growing stronger.”
The group is backed by Elkan Abrahamson, a human rights lawyer who represented 20 of the Hillsborough families at recent inquests.
Mr Abrahamson, of law firm Broudie Jackson Canter, said: “By starting an inquiry now, at best, more lives may be saved; at worst, we’ll get better learnings more quickly.”
The Government said: “At some point there will be an opportunity to reflect and learn lessons. At the moment, the most important thing is to focus on the current situation.”