A grieving son who was unable to give his mum a proper funeral because of coronavirus restrictions says Boris Johnson has "betrayed" the country by permitting parties in Number 10 during lockdown.
Robert Sherman lost his mother Mary nine days after the first UK-wide lockdown began in 2020.
Restrictions put in place at the start of the pandemic by the Prime Minister meant only a handful of relatives were allowed to spend 10 minutes at her graveside where she was buried one week later.
It has emerged Downing Street staff threw two parties in the garden of No. 10 during the lockdown when people were still forbidden from meeting up with more than one person outside.
The hushed-up bashes are among a total of 16 parties on official premises being investigated by top civil servant Sue Gray, who says there were "failures of leadership" in Boris Johnson's government in curtailing them.
The PM has remained defiant in the face of calls to go from Labour, the SNP and even some of his own Tory MPs, telling the Commons on Monday: "I get it and I will fix it."
But Robert, a bus driver from Bonnybridge near Falkirk, says Boris has "betrayed" everyone who, like him, followed the rules even when times were tough.
The 62-year-old said: "I watched his apology on Monday and my stomach just churned. It just didn't ring true. We've heard it all before.
"It's disrespectful to the pain felt by absolutely everybody that has lost somebody through this time.
"The word we're all looking for is 'betrayal'.
"It's lit up like a neon sign in my head."
Early in the pandemic Robert and his family donned masks, gloves and aprons to visit Mary in hospital as she fought against COPD.
They later provided palliative care for the 79-year-old at home in the St Ninian's area of Stirling, but she sadly died on April 1.
For her funeral on April 9 only Robert, his siblings and his nieces could accompany Mary to the graveside in socially distanced huddles, and all went home after just 10 minutes at the cemetery.
"I've been working all the way through this and everybody like me has been adhering to the rules," he added.
"I remember the 'stay at home' messages, emblazoned on my mind.
"Meanwhile, Boris Johnson's parcel of rogues, which is the only way I can describe it, fiddled while Rome burned.
"We're a big family and Mary was well known in the area - but we couldn't go into the church, and we were given 10 minutes to get her in the ground and leave.
"Two close friends of mine lost parents within a week or two of that and they had to go through the same thing.
"I'm still grieving. I can honestly say I haven't even cried yet."
Robert and his family were able to eventually celebrate Mary's life in a gathering in October 2021 when restrictions had eased.
However, his emotional wounds were re-opened when footage of No. 10 spokesperson Allegra Stratton laughing and joking about the parties was obtained by ITV News, days after the first claims were reported by the Daily Mirror.
Stratton went on to resign and remains the only person to have quit to date over the furore.
Robert, 62, concluded: "We all adhered to the guidelines and I feel upset for everybody from Lands End to John O' Groats that has lost someone too.
"I remember leaving the cemetery shaking my head and thinking: 'This isn't right.'
"But my mum knew and understood these things and she told me: 'I get it, son'.
"Her words are what gave me strength during that time and in the meantime the people setting the guidelines didn't follow their own rules.
"If you are a leader, you should lead by example. Boris Johnson has not set an example from day one.
"That's the bit that really hurts me. I led by example, I followed the rules."
Boris Johnson has been under heavy pressure to resign in the wake of the partygate scandal.
The PM has doubled down and maintained that he will be absolved by the Metropolitan Police's investigations.
However, he has found himself in hot water over a false claim, made under parliamentary privilege, that Labour leader Keir Starmer opted not to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he was the Director of Public Prosecutions.
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