Boris Johnson apologized to Covid victims in England and received a harsh response

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized this Wednesday for “the pain and losses” caused by covid-19 and admitted that he should have reacted earlier on certain decisions, during a public investigation into his management during the pandemic.

“I understand the feelings of Covid victims and their families and I am deeply sorry for the pain, loss and suffering caused,” Johnson said during his appearance in London.

When I spoke these words, was interrupted by four protesters shouting “We don’t want your excuses!” before being expelled from the room.

Johnson, who arrived three hours early at the London government office where he was scheduled, faces an investigation between Wednesday and Thursday against him, after having been the subject of strong criticism from his former advisors.

Since the hearings began in June, these collaborators, including several advisors and scientists, have described a prime minister overwhelmed, indecisive and little concerned for victims when the pandemic broke out in early 2020, with a divided and chaotic government.

“It was the worst possible crisis for that prime minister’s powers,” Lee Cain, former Downing Street communications director, told the investigative committee in late June, describing a Johnson who did not make decisions and constantly changed his mind, depending on the last person who had spoken to him.

Did Boris Johnson take too long to impose a first lockdown at the end of March 2020? Did you foresee the scope of the pandemic? Did you understand the scientific data that was coming to you? Was he indifferent to the victims and especially to the elderly? Johnson tried to defend himself against the barrage of criticism.

“We underestimated the breadth of the challenge. We should have realized collectively much sooner“I should have realized it,” Johnson explained this Wednesday.

“My instinct told me that the figure (on deaths in Italy) could not be correct,” after the information that arrived in February 2020 from that country.

“Inevitably we were wrong about some things,” the former leader continued, also noting that he assumed personal responsibility for the decisions made.

Johnson’s defense

“A large number of decisions, because they had to be made very quickly, were channeled directly to me,” he stated at the hearing.

“But there were also a large number of decisions, and I think this may not have come to light as much, that were the subject of extensive cabinet discussion,” he added.

“Very talented and very motivated people, udoes not do the best he can, but like any human being under great stress he is prone to criticize others,” he explained.

Guto Harri, who was Johnson’s communications director, came to the defense of his former boss this Wednesday on Times Radio.

“The tragedy for me is that three of his most important assistants had a pathetic little WhatsApp group together. And they were just complaining in it about the prime minister and his wife, when they should have been executing the difficult decisions made by him and the elected members of the cabinet at the time,” he said.

But critical reactions to Johnson’s intervention did not take long.

Aamer Anwar, a lawyer for a Scottish association for covid victims, stated that “instead of resolving the crisis,” JOhnson “presided over a totally repugnant orgy of narcissism.”

More than 232,000 dead

Johnson’s own life was in danger due to Covid in April 2020, in a pandemic that killed more than 232,000 people in the United Kingdom.

“We have an extremely elderly population. and we are the second most densely populated country in Europe. That didn’t help,” Johnson defended himself this Wednesday.

On March 23, 2020, a first confinement was imposed on the British, followed by two others, among the harshest in Europe.

Revelations about illegal parties in Downing Street during this period sparked a scandal and contributed to the downfall of Johnson, who was forced to resign in July 2022.

The work of the independent commission of inquiry, chaired by former judge Heather Hallett, could last until 2026.

Former Prime Minister of England, Boris Johnson, apologized to the victims of covid-19 for mishandling the pandemic. PHOTO: AFP