HUMBLED Boris Johnson said he was “deeply, deeply sorry” after a grieving Labour MP banned by Covid rules from carrying his gran’s coffin launched a blistering attack on Government “hypocrisy”.
Key Starmer ally Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi tore into “sycophantic, spineless, hypocritical” ministers for rallying round Dominic Cummings last year – and demanded the PM apologise for standing by his then chief adviser.
Mr Cummings survived national fury last summer after a notorious lockdown-busting drive to Barnard Castle, claiming he was testing his eyesight.
Shadow minister Mr Singh Dhesi raged across the Commons chamber at senior Tories this afternoon in an emotionally-charged prime minister’s questions.
He fumed: “My grandmother, whom I loved dearly, was lying on her hospital death bed and none of us were allowed to be there to comfort her in her final moments.
“I couldn’t even carry her coffin on my shoulders.”
Because of strict Covid laws limiting gatherings, he also had the “agony” of watching his uncle’s funeral online and was barred from his brother-in-law’s send-off.
The MP blasted that ministers “defending the indefensible” – sticking with Mr Cummings – rubbed salt in the wounds of his own “painful personal sacrifices”.
He concluded: “So when is the Prime Minister finally going to apologise to the nation for not mustering up some courage and integrity for doing the honourable thing and sacking his chief adviser.”
The PM said he “deeply sympathised” with the suffering of the Opposition frontbencher.
He added: “I take his criticisms most sincerely – of the Government everything we have done – but all I can say we have tried throughout the pandemic to minimise human suffering, loss of life.
“As I have said before, when he asks me to apologise, I do.”
Mr Cummings finally left Government in December 2020 following an internal Downing St power struggle.
