By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
An independent councillor said he is “incensed” after it was revealed that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor broke lockdown rules during the pandemic.
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have rejected calls to resign after the Metropolitan Police said they had been issued with Fixed Penalty Notices for breaching coronavirus rules in June 2020.
Ashfield Independent councillor Jim Blagden lost his grandson Aeron aged just 27.
The Hucknall councillor said his grandson had a short battle with cancer before passing away in May 2020, with only 10 people allowed at his funeral.
Cllr Blagden, who recently fought and won his own battle with leukaemia, said it was an “absolute disgrace” that the pair have not resigned.
He said: “I am so incensed to think that we lost my grandson and had a funeral with no wake and no chance to grieve together – while they were partying. We followed all the rules.
“If they had any sense of honour, they would resign. That is the only way to put this right.
“Telling family members that we could only have 10 people at my grandson’s funeral was absolutely awful.
“Then you find out that the people who made the rules weren’t following them.
“You can’t explain how it makes you feel, it makes you want to explode.”
Cllr Blagden also explained how he had to be alone while receiving treatment for leukaemia in 2021.
Many members of the cabinet, including Mark Spencer, MP for Sherwood, have spoken out with support for the Prime Minister.
Cllr Blagden added that Conservative MPs should “condemn” the Prime Minister’s actions.
Mr Johnson offered a “full apology” yesterday and said at the time it “did not occur to me that this might have been a breach of the rules”.
He said he was only at the gathering for less than 10 minutes.
He added: “I understand the anger that many will feel that I myself fell short when it came to observing the very rules which the Government I lead had introduced to protect the public, and I accept in all sincerity that people had a right to expect better.
“Now I feel an even greater sense of obligation to deliver on the priorities of the British people.”
