Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson This Wednesday he expressed regret for “the pain, loss and suffering” of the victims of Covid-19.
With this, Johnson began his testimony before the official inquiry into the pandemic chaired by the former judge Heather Hallettwhich examines the management of the authorities in this second of four phases.
The former Conservative leader has been accused by other witnesses in this inquiry of lobbying for it Letting old people die, not understanding scientific diagrams, and ruling with incompetence and chaos.
At the beginning of his testimony, which will last until tomorrow, Hallett regretted that the former head of the executive branch’s statement had been leaked to the newspapers and also called for the exclusion from the chamber of a person who had interrupted him.
“I understand the feelings of the victims and their families and deeply regret their pain, loss and suffering.” suffered, said Johnson, who has his own legal team.
The former prime minister admitted this “Mistakes were inevitably made” from his government, but insisted that he was unable to “list them in a hierarchy.”
When asked by investigative lawyer Hugo Keith, Johnson assured this “takes responsibility” for the decisions made during the pandemicsuch as the date of the first delivery of March 23, 2020 – which other witnesses said was too late – and the lack of protection in nursing homes.
The former head of the executive branch, who was forced to resign in July 2022 due to several scandals, said “unsure” whether his decisions led to more deaths in the UK – one of the worst affected countries in Western Europe with 232,112 certified deaths –.
He argued that “the fact that there are such in this country.” “Lots of older people and densely populated.”
Johnson also claimed that he had “no explanation for this.” Some WhatsApp messages with collaborators from the beginning of the pandemic are missingwhich therefore could not be examined by the experts.
At the doors of the hall in London Families of Covid victims demonstratewhose legal team will also have the opportunity to question the former president.
Aamer Anwar, senior lawyer for the Scottish Family of Victims Group, told the press about Johnson: “Instead of resolving a national crisis, his administration presided over a total and vile orgy of narcissism.”
“He had the bodies piled up (a phrase attributed to the former prime minister himself) and The elderly were treated like toxic waste” he told reporters.
“As a result, More than a quarter of a million people died from Covid. “They cannot speak for themselves, but their families, those left behind and all those affected deserve the truth,” he added.