London —
Former British PM Boris Johnson expressed regret for the people who died during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Johnson said he was sorry for the “pain and loss and suffering” of victims at the start of his two-day appearance before a government-backed panel investigating Britain’s response to the crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 230 people in the UK. This is one of the highest death rates in Europe. Johnson arrived at the location in London before dawn to avoid demonstrations by some of the victims’ families.
Johnson has been criticized for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in 2019 while he was prime minister. He was ousted from office over a series of scandals, among them parties he and his staff held at the prime minister’s official residence in 2020 and 2021, ignoring government restrictions on public gatherings.
A van displaying a protest banner is parked outside the COVID-19 Inquiry in London, Wednesday, December 6, 2023. (AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
The former prime minister acknowledged that his government “made some mistakes” but said they did their best in a difficult situation.
Several former officers and staffers testified that described Johnson as indecisive and callous toward victims. Claims have emerged that he suggested that Britain’s elderly citizens should be allowed to die, and that he would rather have a large death toll than impose a second lockdown.
Patrick Vallance, Johnson’s former chief science adviser, said Johnson was “baffled” by the science surrounding the pandemic. His former adviser, Dominic Cummings, said Johnson once asked scientists whether drying his nose with a hair dryer could kill the virus. (uh/ab)