Grieving grandson tells James O'Brien the moving way he is protesting the government
20 May 2020, 15:16
Grieving grandson tells James O'Brien the moving way he is protesting the government
This is the powerful moment a caller whose grandfather died from coronavirus tells James O'Brien the moving way he is protesting the government's handling of the crisis.
Ellis from Fulham told James his grandfather died from coronavirus on Easter Sunday: "In my opinion, people like my grandfather were sacrificed for one or two more days of the economy."
"I'm actually sat outside of Parliament now. I've come down here with a sign with his name, Berys Moore, to show Boris as he goes in and out," said Ellis, an act he also did last Wednesday.
"People say it is what it is but it's not, many other countries shut down far quicker," he said, referencing New Zealand which saw leader Jacinda Ardern shutting down the country swiftly "with care and sympathy."
Alternatively, he said, people like "Boris, Mogg and Patel don't care if people like my grandfather dies, or your grandfather dies."
James said he can't argue because Ellis's grandfather did die.
Ellis said he was astounded that the UK have only just started quarantining people from other countries, considering how the care homes are being ravaged with the virus, to which James said "we haven't really started doing that either."
James cited the government's potential plan for "air bridges" meaning people who take routes from low coronavirus infection rates could come to Britain and vice versa without having to quarantine for two weeks.
"I never thought I'd be the person to stand outside Parliament with my grandfather's name on a bit of card...to Boris and people at the top of this Cabinet, numbers are numbers. They don't see a number attached to a name because they're more concerned about the numbers of the economy than the numbers of dying people around this country," said Ellis.
James promised that tomorrow LBC listeners could learn all about Ellis's grandfather, Berys Moore.
