Boris Johnson hits out at ‘version’ of Partygate which prompted his downfall
- At a public inquiry on Thursday, the former UK PM said portrayals of partying in Downing Street during the Covid-19 pandemic were ‘absolutely absurd’
- Johnson appeared close to tears as he rejected claims of ‘indifference’ towards those with Covid-19, recalling his own illness with the virus
But he insisted to the inquiry that perceptions of the scandal were “a million miles from the reality of what happened”.
It follows the ex-leader apologising on Wednesday for “the pain and the loss and the suffering” caused by the pandemic on his much-anticipated first day in the witness box, and accepting “mistakes” had “unquestionably” occurred.
Nearly 130,000 people died from Covid-19 in Britain by mid-July 2021, one of the worst official per capita tolls among Western nations.
Johnson has faced a barrage of criticism from ex-aides for alleged indecisiveness and lack of scientific understanding, as well as for the Downing Street culture that facilitated Partygate.
“I continue to regret very much what happened,” Johnson said on Thursday when asked about the scandal, before branding “dramatic representations” of it “a travesty of the truth”.
