Entertainment
Simon Thomas calls for Boris Johnson to resign as he recalls dad’s death while Downing Street held parties
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Simon Thomas is the latest star to come out and call for Boris Johnson ‘to go’ following further claims of parties that took place at Downing Street whilst the UK was in the midst of the first wave of the pandemic.
On Thursday night, it emerged further parties were held in Number 10 the night before Prince Philip’s funeral, which resulted in the Queen having to sit by herself in the chapel as her husband was laid to rest.
It came after a leaked email obtained by ITV News revealed over 100 Downing Street staffers were invited to a Bring Your Own Booze bash on May 20, and encouraged to ‘make the most of the weather’ while members of the public were unable to meet more than one person outdoors.
Speaking on Friday’s edition of The Jeremy Vine Show, guest Simon was the latest to share his anger at the situation, which came at a time he had to say goodbye to his father whilst Number 10 allegedly partied into the night.
He explained how his dad hadn’t been well for a couple of years, retiring in Norfolk before his health deteriorated in the first UK lockdown, around the time of the party reported in May.
His mum called him, telling him his dad ‘only had a few days left’ due to suffering from multiple organ failure, with Simon having to make a tough decision as to whether to make the journey towards East Anglia.
Simon shared a photo of himself with his dad and his son Ethan (Picture: Channel 5)
He shared: ‘I jumped in a camper van, drove to my sister who lives just out Norwich.
‘She sent a message out to the neighbourhood WhatsApp group to explain, “This is what’s happening with my dad, is it okay if my brother stays in a camper van on our drive in case we get the call in case we can go in there and say goodbye, he’s able to do so along with us?”
Simon said Boris ‘has to go’ but didn’t have high hopes he would (Picture: Channel 5)
Boris Johnson apologised for the May 20th party in PMQs (Picture: PA)
‘We Jeremy – like so many – were abiding by the rules. We slept on my sister’s drive, we waited patiently but fear-filled full of anxiety for five days, waiting to hear if we could go into the hospital.’
The TV presenter got the chance to say goodbye to his dad in person before his death but noted he’d had messages from ‘hundreds of others’ who weren’t able to do so.
‘We made sacrifices because our government was telling us this was what we needed to do,’ Simon noted to the host.
When asked by Jeremy if he felt Mr Johnson needed to resign from his position as Prime Minister, he replied: ‘I absolutely do believe his time is up, but sadly I don’t think it won’t be.’
He went on to launch a scathing attack on Jacob Rees Mogg, who this week suggested the rules in place at the time were ‘very hard for people to follow’ amid further revelations of alleged parties.
Simon said: ‘I was incensed but not surprised to hear Jacob Rees Mogg – who often gets put on the front line with the PM doesn’t speak, somehow suggesting perhaps the rules back in May 2020 were a bit harsh.
‘That might get your government off the hook, but it doesn’t get any of the countless others off the hook at the fact they never got to say goodbye.
More: Jeremy Vine
‘Are you really saying to us the rules were too harsh? It’s offensive, it’s wrong, it’s unjust, there’s not a shred of integrity left on that front bench
‘He has to go, sadly though for the timing I don’t think he will,’ the Sky Sports host concluded.
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MORE : No 10 apologises to Buckingham Palace over parties night before Prince Philip funeral
