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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Photo: Toby Melville / dpa
He'd rather accept that "corpses pile up by the thousands" than impose a third "damned" lockdown.
According to research by the BBC and the Daily Mail, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is said to have said this at a meeting last October.
The station cites several insider sources.
Johnson himself describes the reports as "complete nonsense".
But the denial does not end the matter.
Labor MP Rachel Reeves asked for an apology.
Labor chairman and opposition leader Keir Starmer was appalled: "Everyone would be insecure, especially those families who lost someone during the pandemic."
Johnson and several of his cabinet colleagues vehemently deny the allegations.
The sentence was not said, they say.
But with a record of 150,000 deaths in the UK associated with Covid-19, the allegations are serious.
Johnson has long been blamed for waiting too long to lockdown during the second wave of pandemics last year.
As early as the beginning of September, experts had recommended Johnson initiate measures against a second wave.
He didn't react until a good seven weeks later.
At the time, at least 50,000 people were infected with the coronavirus every day in the UK.
Johnson then imposed a third lockdown in early January.
Questionable funding for Johnson's official residence
The head of government is also troubled by unpleasant questions about the financing of the luxurious renovation of his official apartment in London's Downing Street.
Johnson's ex-advisor Dominic Cummings, who is now in an open exchange with the premier's office, had revealed explosive details about it.
Allegedly, Johnson is said to have tried to finance the substantial costs through party donations.
Those around him insist that Johnson paid out of pocket.
mrc / dpa
