Bereaved daughter ‘sick’ over claims of Downing Street party on day dad's death certificate signed

The daughter of a key worker who died after contracting Covid says it makes her "feel sick" that Boris Johnson was 'partying' on the day her father's death certificate was signed.

Hannah Brady, from Wigan, said her father Shaun, who worked at the Kraft Heinz factory in the town, died four days before an email was sent out by the Prime Minister's private secretary appearing to organise drinks in the garden of Number 10.

Martin Reynolds, the Prime Minister's principal private secretary, sent an email to more than 100 Downing Street employees in May 2020 saying they should "make the most of the lovely weather", despite England being under tough Covid-19 restrictions.

Ms Brady said her father was 55 and fit and healthy when he contracted Covid, and she and her family had done "everything they could" to keep him safe during lockdown.

"Those days will stay with me for the rest of my life, just like the families of the 353 people that died that day, my family couldn't even get a hug from our friends," she said.

"To think that whilst it was happening Boris Johnson was making the 'most of the weather' and throwing a party for 100 people is truly beyond belief.

"At the time, everyone would have known that going to a party was wrong, so how can those running the country have thought it was OK? Could there be a more disgraceful example of 'one rule for them, and another rule for the rest of us'?"

An email shared exclusively with ITV News provides the first evidence of a party on May 20, 2020, when the rest of the country was banned from meeting more than one other person outdoors.

In September last year, Ms Brady was among five families from the campaign who met Mr Johnson.

She added: "To make matters worse, in September I sat in that same garden, looked the Prime Minister in the eyes and told him how my dad had died.

"He told me he had 'done everything he could' to protect my dad.

"Knowing that he had partied in that same spot the very day that Dad's death certificate was signed. It makes me feel sick to think about it."