Downing Street party 'brings back pain' for bereaved mother

A woman whose daughter died from cancer with just her parents by her side has spoken of her anger about a Downing Street party held around the same time.

Labour has demanded Boris Johnson come clean over whether he was at the garden drinks on 20 May last year.

Isabel McEgan, 19, died from cancer on 10 May and her funeral took place two days after the No 10 event.

Her mother Amanda, from Merseyside, said it was "heartbreaking" that they had to choose just 14 other mourners.

Mrs McEgan said for two months Isabel's parents were the only ones who could visit her in in hospital.

She said it was a "great sadness" that her daughter, from Prescot, could not see her sister, friends or other relatives at that "so lonely" time"

"Seeing her coffin being carried into a crematorium and knowing that people were having parties in gardens, brings that pain back almost daily," she told BBC North West Tonight.

"You think you can move on a little bit, and then it is a few steps back when you think about the total disregard being shown to the members of public who were doing the right thing.

"You expect a leader to set the rules and lead by example, and the fact that they are not willing to do that is heartbreaking."

Shaun Brady with Hannah
IMAGE SOURCE,FAMILY HANDOUT
Image caption,
Hannah Brady with her factory worker father Shaun Brady
The daughter of a man who died from coronavirus in May last year also said she was "furious" with the government.

Shaun Brady, from Hindley in Wigan, died on 16 May after six weeks in hospital.

"Key workers like my dad who died during the pandemic because he went to work to serve this country did not break the rules and paid the ultimate price," his daughter Hannah Brady said.

"I think anyone who has been proven to have attended that party, including Boris Johnson, he should resign or be forced out.

"If he announces a lockdown because a new variant comes out, no-one will listen to him and why should they?"

MPs demand answers from PM over Covid drinks claim
What rules would the Downing Street party have broken?
The list of alleged government lockdown gatherings
Mr Johnson will appear at Prime Minister's Questions later, his first public appearance since details of the May 2020 event emerged.

Conservative and opposition MPs are demanding answers from the prime minister over claims he attended the drinks.

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said that if he was there, and he lied about it, his position is "untenable".

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Mr Johnson should resign now.