Last Updated on 23 March 2023 by Ann-Marie Nye
Following the UK Parliament’s Committee of Privileges’ investigation into statements made by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the House of Commons, after details of parties and other gatherings in Downing Street during lockdown emerged in the media, some United Reformed Church ministers shared their views.
“When I conducted socially distanced, numerically limited funerals, despite the agony the bereaved endured I had to obey the law.
“When I met the bereaved in their gardens, often in drizzle, despite the rawness of grief, I had to obey the law.
“When I dropped things to church members, I had to stand back on doorsteps to speak and not go in despite the loneliness and isolation of some of my people, I had to obey the law.
“When we returned to worship I had to ensure (not without some resistance) despite the yearning to return to normal that I had to obey the law.
“Mr Johnson made those laws yet parties at the heart of government took place.
“It remains to be seen if the Privileges Committee have the guts to sanction him, so he suffers the indignity of a recall petition and, finally, realises he is not above the law.”
The Revd Andy Braunston
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“Facebook keeps reminding me about life when Covid started, first lockdown, etc. I remember having extra Elders’ meetings on Zoom (after we learned what Zoom was) doing Covid risk assessments over and over again, every time the rules changed.
“We did this so we would comply with the laws at the time (it was a legal requirement) and more importantly to do our part to try and keep people safe. We had to learn to do our work as church within the laws, health regs and safety requirements of the time. And they changed frequently.
“I remember watching the news with my fellow ministerial colleagues chatting on our Facebook groups – what does this announcement mean? What about the wedding/funeral/baptism that is planned? Can we serve food parcels or not? What about the homeless man sleeping in the porch? Are we okay to encourage people to tie ribbons to the fencing around the church?
“We questioned everything – to keep people safe and to be good neighbours in our communities. The government webpage with rule changes was refreshed every day on my browser until new regs were posted by the government. It really stinks to find out that those making the laws possibly didn’t take the same amount of care in their own workplaces/homes.”
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“Along with everyone else in church, we agonised over meeting not only the letter but the spirit of both the rules and the guidance. We turned things upside down and went the extra mile as a public body not only to do the right thing but to be seen to do that.
“That came at very considerable costs of finance, mental health, general wellbeing, and to church life.
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“I conducted a great many funerals for families which were fatally damaged by arbitrary number limits taking no account of family units: several times someone wasn’t allowed into the crematorium despite having travelled in the same car as others attending, because it exceeded the limits.
“We did all of this not just because we were required or ‘guided’ to, but because it was the right thing to do. This is why it matters that the leaders of the government not only decided their own rules and guidance didn’t apply to them, but also to cover it up.”
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Image: Boris Johnson attending a Covid Press Conference with CMO CSA in June 2021/Number 10 CC BY-NC-ND 2.0