Daughter of Covid victim blasts Boris Johnson over partygate

The daughter of a man who died during the Covid-19 pandemic has called on ‘selfish’ Boris Johnson to resign after the extent of the Partygate scandal was revealed in the Sue Gray report.

The Prime Minister issued an apology and deplored the illegal gatherings after Ms Gray’s full inquiry concluded that “top leadership” must bear “responsibility” for the parties and drinking culture at Downing Street that are breaking the lockdown.

However, for some, Mr Johnson’s words were not enough, as Safiah Ngah, 29, described his behavior as “disgusting”.

Ms Ngah was unable to visit her father, a retired NHS worker, before he died in February 2021 due to Covid restrictions.

She has joined calls for the prime minister to resign once the investigation is complete.

Ms Ngah, who is a member of the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, heavily criticized the PM following Sue Gray’s report.

She has urged Mr Johnson to step down, saying: “I think you have to be a very selfish person to put yourself and your job above everything else.

“For him to stay and show so little compassion for what people have lost and so little introspection for what has been happening around the world is an indication that it is an almost sociopathic behavior. It’s very strange.”

Ms Ngah said her father, who died alone in hospital, would have been left “terrified” and vulnerable without his family by his side.

The family could not come by in person and could only say goodbye via video call.

Mr Johnson, who has been fined by Met Police over the gatherings, has insisted he will not resign from government.

During a special press conference, he said: “I have an overwhelming feeling that it’s my job to move forward and deliver.

“No matter how bitter and painful the conclusions from this may be – and they are – and no matter how humiliating they are, I must move on and the government must move on. And we are.

“We’re going to keep going and keep doing the hard things.”

Ms Gray’s report detailed that “senior executives” enabled a culture of drinking at Downing Street that allowed illegal gatherings to take place.

Their findings added that on one occasion, a gathering involving alcohol had resulted in a “quarrel” between two employees and another fell ill.

It was also reported that some staff present had behaved disrespectfully towards cleaning and security staff after the parties.

Ms Ngah said the government’s behavior and subsequent response to the Partygate scandal made her “embarrassed to be British”.

She said: “It’s disgusting. I’m embarrassed to be British.

“The government is completely out of touch with what real people are experiencing and that’s not surprising. They are obviously a very privileged group of people with limited experience.”

“I think it’s a rough and wild behavior by the people who are supposed to guide us and protect us.”