Boris Johnson was accused of “shocking disrespect” by families bereaved by Covid after he claimed it was unfair to have expected him to stop parties held by “hard-working” aides in Downing Street during lockdown.
In a second lengthy and sometimes difficult day of testimony to the Covid inquiry, the former prime minister also prompted anger by calling media coverage and TV adaptations of the No 10 parties “absurd” and “a travesty of the truth”.
