‘DIABOLICAL’ ‘a disgrace’ and ‘shocking’ are just some of the words used by people in Darlington today to describe the Government partying that took place during the height of the Covid pandemic.
Multiple MPs have called for Boris Johnson’s resignation following the publication of the bombshell report by Sue Gray today (Wednesday, May 25) into the parties held in Whitehall during Covid lockdowns.
A Northern Echo poll revealed that 66 per cent of readers think Mr Johnson should resign.
And a snapshot of public opinion in Darlington town centre today revealed anger towards the Prime Minister and Government staff who partied while the country was in lockdown.
Ron Smith, 52, of Coundon Grange, has worked in health-related local Government agencies throughout his career and said the way officials behaved was ‘shocking’.
He said: “The Military Police have a motto in Latin ‘Exemplo Ducemus’ which means ‘by example shall we lead’ and I don’t think Boris Johnson has been setting a fine example.
“When people are dying left, right and centre – I have had close relatives who died – meanwhile they’re partying in 10 Downing Street.
“It’s as if the standards they want to set for people in this country don’t apply to them.
“I think it is a disgrace and they don’t deserve to be in office.”
Kay Tomlinson, 37 and Janet Blackett, 65, from Shildon, said it was ‘diabolical’ the Prime Minister attended parties while people lost loved ones they couldn’t visit and weren’t able to hold proper funerals or wakes for them.
Janet said: “The trouble is, there’s no-one else to take over (from Boris Johnson), I don’t like the other man either (Keir Starmer) and Boris did do a good job with the vaccines and things.
“He has shot himself in the foot though, denying things when there was a photograph (of a garden party), it was there in black and white so you can’t be denying it.”
Kay said: “They just took the mick out of the whole country, the whole thing is diabolical.
“And I think the whole Covid thing was about money anyway, with the way they went about the vaccines, PPE and things it made a lot of money for the pharmaceutical companies and some of them (Conservative MPs) had shares in the companies making money.”
Elizabeth Reay, 27, said the findings of the report wouldn’t change the way she voted as she always voted Labour, but she said the behaviour of the Prime Minister those involved in the parties was ‘shocking’.
She said: “I don’t agree with what they did at all.
“But I think Keir Starmer is keeping a bit quiet because there still investigating him aren’t they?
“I think he will play it quite quiet as he will be worried about what will come out (about him).”
Darlington resident Ann Brown, 54, said: “I think the whole thing is very shocking.
“I don’t think he will resign – he should, but he won’t.
“The worst is the fact that he lied, saying there were no parties, they just stood up and lied.
“I think he (Boris Johnson) is stubborn and doesn’t think he has done anything wrong.
“I don’t think an apology is enough and he should go.”
However, one Sunderland resident visiting Darlington to meet an old friend said she was ‘sick of the whole thing’ and there were bigger problems in the country to focus on right now.
She said: “I think people’s minds are on other things now, we’re worrying about high prices, the cost of living - people are in poverty.
“I thought all this Sue Gray stuff was over and done with already, I wish they’d just get on with it and get on with more important things.”
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