Pain and heartache from bereaved NI families as PM makes first appearance since BYOB party
Last updated 12th Jan 2022
More families who lost loved ones during the pandemic have shared their pain and anger over claims the Prime Minister attended a drinks event in the No 10 garden during lockdown.
Boris Johnson will appear at Prime Minister's Questions later - his first public appearance since details of the May 2020 event emerged.
The prime minister has so far declined to say whether he attended the gathering.
However, the revelations have caused huge upset and anger among families in Northern Ireland who lost loved ones during the pandemic.
Brenda Doherty lost her mother Ruth Burke in March 2020, just two months before the email inviting the PM and 100 others to the party was sent out.
Brenda told Downtown Radio & Cool FM news how hard it has been.
On Monday, ITV published a leaked email from Mr Johnson's principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, inviting staff to "socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden" on 20 May 2020 - when lockdown rules in England banned large outdoor gatherings.
The invitation encouraged people to "bring your own booze" and "make the most of the lovely weather".
Mr Johnson has said it is a matter for Sue Gray - the senior civil servant investigating a series of reported parties in Downing Street and in Whitehall in 2020 - to determine what happened.
The PM's official spokesman has also refused to confirm whether Mr Johnson attended the May 2020 Downing Street gathering. He added that the prime minister retained full confidence in Mr Reynolds.
Petition for public inquiry
Brenda Doherty is also encouraging everyone to sign a petition that could see Northern Ireland hold its own public inquiry in to the Covid pandemic.
The petition organiser, Martina Ferguson, said: "We deserve to know why we have lost so many loved ones, and we deserve to know that loss like this won’t occur again.
"The only way to learn lessons that will save lives in future Pandemics is through a Northern Ireland Executive based Public Inquiry (Judge-led) into the handling of the Pandemic.
"Decisions regarding Health & Social Care in Northern Ireland are made by the Department of Health and we don’t want them overlooked in the upcoming UK wide public inquiry.
"The Scottish Government has agreed to hold a Scottish inquiry into the handling of the pandemic, and yet Northern Ireland law makers are yet to even meet with Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice.
"I’m sure you will agree our loved ones deserve justice just as much as those lost in England and Scotland.
You can click here to sign the petition.