THE Prime Minister’s great many mea culpas during his statement and the following debate in the House of Commons on Tuesday on Partygate has done anything but assuage my disgust at the behaviour of him and his Whitehall colleagues.

On Easter Sunday I and other members of our family visited my mother-in-law’s grave on the second anniversary of her death, to apologise once again for not being allowed to see her for many weeks before her death and not to be able to hold her hand as she passed away, nor be allowed to hold a proper funeral, no church service permitted with just a handful of us standing, socially distanced, 100 metres away only allowed near her coffin once it was in the ground.

We were saved by the wonderful birdsong in Richardson Street Cemetery that morning – far more uplifting than any organ music – and then were obliged to go home alone, no family gatherings being allowed.

No number of apologies/contrition, expressed only because he was found out, will ever cover the sacrifices we and thousands of bereaved families made to protect others as the PM and his Whitehall colleagues did the opposite, as they indulged in regular alcohol-fuelled parties as thousands of people across this country died from Covid-19.

He has demeaned his great office of state and every time he denies he lied to Parliament damages our ‘Mother of Parliament’s’ great democracy by refusing to resign. I would remind him dictators edict rules for others which they themselves do not follow.

Patrick Tracey
Carlisle