I was disappointed to hear the Prime Minister say he was at a Downing Street event during the first lockdown in May 2020.
My view is - at the very least - this breaks the spirit of the rules and the PM’s apology in the House of Commons and the regret he expressed reflects that.
Whether those gathered in the garden at No 10 broke the law will be determined by the investigation. I will wait on its publication.
No-one in this country is above the law and those whose business it is to make the law are especially bound to respect it. Anyone who breaks them must face the consequences.
I voted through the restrictions that bound the country into lockdown in that year. I feel the pain, anger and public dismay at these reports most keenly, and most particularly because I know the level of sacrifice many have made in Eastbourne and Willingdon. I kept to the rules. On the day in question, I was working in Eastbourne and specifically on NHS calls.
However, it is important to acknowledge the Government, led by the Prime Minister, has overseen a world-beating vaccine programme and huge economic support that has saved jobs and businesses in Eastbourne and Willingdon during the pandemic.
We have record job vacancies, a country largely free of Covid restrictions and the fastest growing economy in the G7. These facts do not absolve anyone from any wrongdoing, but do they speak to a desire to help and protect and support the public during these challenging times.
My focus right now is to continue to support my constituents and to work with the borough council as it tries to navigate its way out of a major financial crisis largely of its own making. Next week, I am meeting the minister who will decide whether the council’s plan is enough. If not, bankruptcy could be the worst case scenario.
