Rishi Sunak has come under fire for his role in the Partygate scandal from a worker whose mother died during the pandemic.
The prime minister was asked “how anyone can trust you?” by a man who was unable to visit his mother in hospital before she passed away in 2020.
During a staff Q&A at a factory near Milton Keynes, an employee said: “My mum died in 2020, at the height of the pandemic.
“My brothers couldn’t be with us, in the hospital I could not be there. You probably remember that was the month all the parties were going on in Downing Street.
“The month after, you attended a gathering where you got a fixed penalty notice. My question is how can anyone trust you or the [Conservative] party after things like this?”
Mr Sunak said: “Well, I’m really sorry that you lost your mum, and particularly in those circumstances, because it wasn’t easy for so many people during the pandemic, the impact it had on everyone’s life.
"I can’t imagine what it must have been for you not to be able to be with her at that time. It’s really tough.
"I’m sorry for what was going on in Downing Street. For my part, I apologise that I showed up to a meeting earlier.
"As you know, I was working on things to help you and your business, and many other families like that.
"In fact, it was probably in that same period of time that you got to know me as chancellor. Most of you didn’t know who I was before then and I popped up on your TV screens, announced the furlough scheme... hopefully some of you here benefited from some of the support that we put in place."
A report into Downing Street parties by former top civil servant Sue Gray laid bare a shock culture of repeated violations of the Covid restrictions by senior officials in No10.
It contained multiple photographs of former prime minister Boris Johnson and one of Mr Sunak attending a birthday gathering with his old boss.
Mr Sunak and Mr Johnson both received Met Police fines for the event, which took place on 19 June, 2020.
The worker’s question highlights the ongoing anger felt by voters over the Partygate scandal, where those in charge of making lockdown rules were found repeatedly to have broken them.
Britain’s top polling guru Professor Sir John Curtice has said one of the main reasons for the Tories’ electoral woes, with Mr Sunak’s party on course for a 1997-style wipeout, is because of the legacy left by Partygate.
Mr Sunak went on to talk about the furlough scheme and other support he put in place during the pandemic, adding that he did “everything I could” to help families across the country through the crisis.
