Responding to the daily press conference, with the new figures including deaths in all settings being released, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “As we finally see the Government’s revised figures of how many people have tragically lost their lives to coronavirus, the sheer scale of this human disaster is becoming clearer. Tens of thousands of people right across the country will be mourning the loss of a loved one, and not only do they deserve answers, but the Government must ensure lessons are learnt.
“Yet even these new figures may not reveal the full picture and size of the disaster as calculations by analysts using data from the Office for National Statistics suggest the actual figure may be higher still.
“Whatever the truth, the case for an independent public inquiry once this crisis is over could not be stronger. The British public deserve to know the truth, including precisely how many people have died. There is no excuse for the Government’s refusal to commit to an official review into their response to this pandemic.
“Whether it is the scandalous lack of protective equipment for our frontline workers, the current failure to properly test, trace and isolate, or the true number of deaths, the Government must not only be held to account, but step up and solve these crises as quickly as possible. As today has reminded us, the consequences are too great otherwise.”