PM agrees to meet families who lost loved ones to virus pandemic
THE PRIME Minister has pledged to meet with families who have lost loved ones during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Covid- 19 Bereaved Families for Justice group said they had asked for meetings with Boris Johnson on a number of different occasions.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Johnson said that he was not aware of any letters from the group, but said he would respond.
He added that he would “of course” meet with the bereaved.
Earlier this month, the All Party Parliamentary Group ( APPG) on Coronavirus heard from bereaved families who said they felt they were being “swept under the carpet” by the Government.
Grieving family members said they had written to the Prime Minister asking to meet and share their experiences but were told that officials were unable to meet “due to the current pandemic”.
Last week, APPG chairwoman, Liberal Democrat Layla Moran, wrote to Mr Johnson and said she was “shocked” to learn that he had “refused” to meet the group – which represents 1,600 families.
The Prime Minister 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.”
Co- founder of the Covid- 19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, Jo Goodman, who lost her father Stuart to the virus, said: “We welcome Boris Johnson finally agreeing to meet with us.
“It shouldn’t have taken him months to agree to it, and it should only be a matter of days before it happens. All we want is to prevent others from going through the same pain we have.
“What we’re asking of the Prime Minister is simple but urgent: hold a rapid review phase of a public inquiry that can report within weeks, to learn the lessons of the first wave and save lives now. There are so many questions that need urgent answers.
“A rapid review after the Hillsborough tragedy took just 11 weeks to report back crucial findings. In fact, if the Prime Minister had replied to our first letter back in June, a rapid review could be reporting right now, giving crucial lessons on how to save lives as the virus spikes again.”