PRESS STATEMENT – 16TH JANUARY – PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED PRIOR TO START OF UK COVID INQUIRY IN EDINBURGH
16th January Statement issued at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre prior to start of MOD2A UK COVID INQUIRY
Aamer Anwar- Lead Solicitor for the Scottish Covid Bereaved
“In the coming days we will hear testimony from those senior government ministers in Scotland and the former first minister, as well as senior civil servants. If the protection of life is the pre-eminent duty of every government owed to the people, then the massive numbers of those who died is the marker against which each government must be judged.
Despite the benefit of watching in real time the wave of covid sweep towards the UK’s shores. The politicians, in particular the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, ‘prevaricated, trollied, and flip-flopped’ in deadly days of delay during which action ought to have been taken as the disease quickly multiplied and overtook the UK. Senior UK politicians appeared unable to answer questions put to them. The Scottish Covid Bereaved wish to say, loudly and clearly to politicians in Scotland who will give evidence in this module, that they want better –
On behalf of their relatives, they deserve better– they want politicians to answer questions put to them directly, Putting politics and political careers aside : quite frankly the work of this inquiry is more important. In Module 2 some of the best evidence – the most unguarded evidence – came from WhatsApps and texts. Media reports have suggested that senior figures in pandemic decision making – such as Nicola sturgeon and Jason Leitch – have failed to retained messages.
The SCB hope nothing of significance has been lost because of this apparently willful deletion of messages. Of course, Rishi Sunak did not provide any WhatsApps and Boris Johnson’s phone ‘appeared’ to delete his WhatsApps-for first wave of pandemic. We look forward to hearing how our politicians and civil servants attempt to justify this position in Scotland when they knew over 2 years ago inquiries would happen.
While witnesses in this module may point to opinion polling during the pandemic favourably contrasting the Scottish government’s communications with those of the UK Government, positive poll numbers are no consolation to the bereaved.
If Bute House was not as chaotic as Downing Street, if the Scottish government’s public health messaging was to be preferred to that of the UK Government- Why did so many lose their lives in Scotland? Did our politicians fail to protect some of the most vulnerable in our society, such as those in care homes? Was the Scottish government excluded from crucial decision making? Were meetings of COBR a sham? Was the democratic process in Scotland undermined by the UK Government? There are many questions the SCB wish answered in full.
The Scottish Covid Bereaved want to know the truth of what took place in those early days, to know about the decisions which directly impacted on the death of their loved ones. The knowledge of what happened can never take away their grief, but it may save the lives of many in the next inevitable pandemic, that at the very least is the legacy they are entitled to expect.”
