“An inquiry must begin this summer. The Prime Minister may feel he can wait for answers, but bereaved families certainly can’t.
Learning lessons from the pandemic is critical to saving lives now and in the future. The Prime Minister knows that and he’s said as much. So why does he think it can wait? Who delays learning critical lessons that can save lives? We know that the majority of the public support an independent inquiry and that 72% of those that do want one by the Autumn, so the Prime Minister needs to get on with it like the British public want.
The Prime Minister also again failed to commit to a statutory inquiry. Anything less would mean that no one would be compelled to give evidence under oath. Simply put, it means the truth can be avoided and the right lessons aren’t guaranteed to be learned – yet a further insult to bereaved families.
We are now drafting Terms Of Reference that bereaved families would find appropriate for a judge led, statutory inquiry and seeking an urgent meeting with Government representatives to ascertain what the Prime Minister means by a “full proper public inquiry”. Jo Goodman, co-founder of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice
