Borough MP backs grieving families in call for Covid-19 probe to be made public

Yvonne Fovargue, MP for Makerfield, has backed calls made by the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, which includes grieving relatives from Wigan. Ms Fovargue said the Government needed to “learn from its mistakes” to minimise the number of deaths that would occur in the event of a second wave.

As of June, 338 coronavirus-related deaths had been recorded across the borough, including those in hospitals and care homes, since official record keeping began in March.

Boris Johnson announced earlier this month that an independent inquiry into the pandemic would be held at some stage, but the Prime Minister stopped short of revealing a timescale, or whether the investigation would be held in public.

The latter has been a key point of interest to the bereaved families group, which is made up exclusively of people who have lost family members to the virus and calls for an urgent inquiry into the nation’s pandemic response.

Their key questions focus on why the lockdown was imposed so late, particularly given evidence from Professor Neil Ferguson which suggested that 22,000 lives could have been saved if the lockdown had started just one week earlier.

Hannah Brady, from Hindley, has been a member of the group since losing her dad Shaun after a six-week battle with Covid-19 in May. He was 55 years old.

She felt the PM’s announcement failed to answer questions that she and countless others bereaved by Covid-19 have for Downing Street. She said Mr Johnson’s announcement provided “a minimal response” for grieving relatives.

After speaking with Hannah, who is one of her constituents, Ms Fovargue has now publicly voiced her support for the national campaign.

Ms Fovargue said: “Too many lives have been lost and there are legitimate questions that need to be answered. The Prime Minister has acknowledged the need for an independent inquiry but believes that now is not the time.

“Bereaved Families for Justice, a group of hundreds of families who have lost loved ones are rightly urging the Government to learn from their mistakes so they don’t risk a second wave of deaths. I support their call on the Government to learn the lessons and save lives. A full public inquiry should be held into the Government’s handling of the pandemic.”