Susanna Reid has branded Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg “insensitive” and “outrageous” after he dismissed the partygate scandal as “disproportionate fluff”.
During the Conservative Party’s spring conference earlier this month, the Brexit Minister played down the series of parties and gatherings that took place across Downing Street and Whitehall during the height of Covid restrictions, saying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had been a “reminder that the world is serious”.
“There are serious things to be discussed and serious decisions for politicians to take,” he said, suggesting that “getting away from the ‘wokery’ that has beset huge sections of society” was an example of that.
“All that nonsense is shown for the trivial nature of it…. I’d say the same of ‘partygate’,” he continued. “All of that is shown up for the disproportionate fluff of politics that it was rather than something of fundamental seriousness about the safety of the world and the established global order.”
Rees-Mogg’s comments were discussed during Tuesday’s edition of Good Morning Britain, following the news the Metropolitan Police would be issuing the first 20 fixed penalty fines to people over the scandal.
“It is outrageous, I would say, because there are people who were not able to be with family members who were dying because of laws introduced by his government,” Susanna said of the MP’s remarks.
“And to now tell those people who are hurt by the fact that the government ministers, members of the staff, may have broken the law to gather together in a way that nobody else was allowed to, to now dismiss that as ‘fluff’ is insensitive, and outrageous.”
The presenter then spoke of a 13-year-old boy who had died alone in a hospital near where she lived, whose family had been unable to attend his funeral due to Covid restrictions.
“That family is probably very concerned about the war in Ukraine,” she continued. “They will be living with a wound to their hearts that they could not be with that boy when he lost his life.
“So yes, the war in Ukraine is huge, but there’s a personal tragedy. That doesn’t explain away how difficult the lockdown breaches at the top of government were to those who couldn’t be together.”
The partygate scandal recently engulfed the government and saw Tory MPs publicly call for the prime minister to go.
On Tuesday, it was confirmed 20 fixed penalty notices are set to be issued for breaches of Covid rules.
Any fines are expected to be around £100 and No.10 has pledged to reveal if Boris Johnson himself is fined.
Scotland Yard said a “significant” amount of investigative material remains to be assessed, suggesting more might be issued.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.