A councillor who quit the Conservatives over the embarrassment of the national partygate scandal has branded Lichfield’s MP “a disgrace”.
Cllr Alastair Little’s comments come after Michael Fabricant spoke in the House of Commons following the publication of the Sue Gray report into gatherings at Downing Street during lockdown.
The Conservative MP said he could “understand the outrage and anger of people” who had lost loved ones.
He added:
“But I also understand, having been an employer, that attending an event where someone is leaving is considered to be a work event, and my Rt Hon Friend clearly got guidance from civil servants that turned out to be wrong.”
Michael Fabricant
But Cllr Little, who represents the Hammerwich with Wall ward at Lichfield District Council, said the MP’s ongoing defence of Mr Johnson was “an embarrassment”.
“Michael Fabricant has blamed the advice given to Boris Johnson – can he now comment on the missed funerals?
“As this disgusting human has pointed out I’m not a resident of his, but many residents of the area I represent that he has forgotten are and are in the same situation as myself and lost loved ones.
“Michael Fabricant is a disgrace and an embarrassment to elected office and should – along with his idol Boris – leave office ASAP.
“To have the Prime Minister say he has been misinformed by junior staff as to what a party is, or is not, how can we trust him to run the Government?
“How can we trust a local backbench MP who worships his boss to represent the views of Lichfield and Burntwood?”
Cllr Alastair Little, Lichfield District Council
“Anger is misplaced and that rarely achieves anything”
Mr Fabricant told Lichfield Live he could understand the “bitterness” felt by some over the issue.
“I am really sorry Alastair feels this way. He is clearly very upset and angry.
“Boris Johnson lost his mother during the pandemic and I know many people in Lichfield and Burntwood who were unable to attend funerals and weddings due to restrictions in place at the time.
“I do understand the bitterness some people feel, though Alastair’s anger is misplaced and personal abuse rarely achieves anything.
“As the Susan Gray report revealed, most of the activities that broke laws in Downing Street happened without the knowledge of Government ministers and involved mainly junior civil servants and special advisors. Most no longer work there.
“Downing Street isn’t a small terraced house, it is over 57,000 square feet of offices with hundreds working there and the events that happened on Friday nights were when the Prime Minister had already left for Chequers 50 miles away.
“I don’t completely condone Boris Johnson – my best friend’s mother died in hospital with Covid and he wasn’t able to visit her -but I do have to look at the bigger picture. I believe he has got the big calls right whether it was placing bulk orders for vaccines before any other country in the world or placing troops and military equipment in the Ukraine months before the invasion.
“I have to take all these factors into account and not simply descend into unreasoned rage.”
Michael Fabricant
