News

‘We don’t want your apology’, protesters tell Boris Johnson

Four people who were removed from Boris Johnson’s Covid-19 Inquiry hearing said they “didn’t want his apology”.

The former Prime Minister’s evidence was interrupted on Wednesday morning as he began an apology for the “suffering” during the pandemic.

Baroness Heather Hallett, chairwoman of the inquiry, ordered ushers to remove the women from the room.

They said they stood up as he began apologising to hold up signs that read: “The Dead can’t hear your apologies”.

Speaking outside Dorland House in west London, Kathryn Butcher, 59, who lost her sister-in-law, told reporters afterwards: “We didn’t want his apology.

“When he tried to apologise we stood up. We didn’t block anybody. We were told to sit down.”

Fran Hall, 62, from Denham, Buckinghamshire, said that Baroness Hallett warned them that they would be asked to leave if they did not sit down.

“Lady Hallett warned us to sit down and we didn’t, we stood.

“She warned us that if we didn’t sit down she would have to ask the ushers to ask us to leave.”

(left to right) Kirsten Hackman, Michelle Rumball, Kathryn Butcher and Fran Hall, who were removed from the UK Covid-19 Inquiry as Boris Johnson began his evidence with an apology to victims of the pandemic at Dorland House in London, during its second investigation (Module 2) exploring core UK decision-making and political governance. Picture date: Wednesday December 6, 2023.

She said her only regret was that their seats are now sitting empty inside the inquiry.

Ms Butcher, from London, said that the former Prime Minister saw their signs.

“He looked around once when Lady Hallett told us to sit down,” she said.

“He looked at us quickly.

“He would have seen what the signs said.”

Related: Johnson says he may have only read Sage minutes ‘once or twice’

Sophie Wingate

Sophie Wingate is a political correspondent for PA. You can find her on Twitter (X) here: @sophie_wing8

Published by