Halifax woman who could not be at her husband's bedside in his final weeks shares fury at Boris Johnson and Downing Street parties

Margaret Pearson with her husband George

A Halifax woman who could not be by her husband’s bedside as he marked his birthday in hospital five weeks before he died has shared her outrage at the latest Downing Street party revelations.

Margaret Person, from Southowram, was only allowed to talk to husband George from outside the door to his ward as he celebrated his 67th birthday back in December 2020.

He spent his final months in hospital during tough lockdown rules that at one point meant Mrs Pearson could not even go inside to see her husband of 45 years, and could only speak to him on the phone.

So to see reports of rule-breaking Downing Street parties, including this week’s revelations of a celebration for Boris Johnson’s birthday, has made her furious.

Mrs Pearson could only speak to her husband George from the door to his hospital ward

“When you think back to that time and everyone was following all the rules and regulations” she said. “To hear that he was having a birthday party makes me so angry.”

Mr Pearson used to run The Cock and Bottle in Southowram and the couple have three sons and five grandchildren.

“He was the loveliest man you could ever meet,” said Mrs Pearson. “He would do anything for anyone.”

Mrs Pearson used to like Boris Johnson but says, in the wake of the parties scandal, he needs to resign.

“It’s not right,” she said.

“There are lots of people who were in the same situation as me. It’s just all wrong.”

The Metropolitan Police announced today that it had launched an investigation into parties held in No 10 during the coronavirus pandemic.

Commissioner Cressida Dick said they were looking into “potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations” in Downing Street and Whitehall since 2020.