UK minister denies PM said 'let bodies pile high'

Reuters

A British minister on Monday denied a report Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would rather bodies piled “high in their thousands” than order a third social and economic lockdown to stem coronavirus infections.

Johnson is facing a stream of allegations in newspapers about everything from his muddled initial handling of the COVID-19 crisis to questions over who financed the redecoration of his official apartment.

The Daily Mail newspaper cited unidentified sources as saying that, in October, shortly after agreeing to a second lockdown, Johnson told a meeting in Downing Street: “No more ... lockdowns — let the bodies pile high in their thousands.”

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told Sky News: “It’s not true.”

“We’re getting into the sort of comedy chapter now of these gossip stories. You know — unnamed sources by unnamed advisers talking about unnamed events. You know — look — none of this is serious,” Wallace said.

Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said he was astonished: “If he did say those things, he’s got to explain it.”

Johnson did impose a third lockdown, in January.

But critics say it could have been avoided had he followed the advice of his senior ministers to make the second lockdown restrictions tougher.