Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told the UK’s COVID-19 inquiry that any suggestion he wants to let the virus “spread” is “completely false”, citing “absolutely absurd” depictions of parties in Downing Street during the Corona crisis Pandemic as he faced a second day of interrogation public inquiry.

Johnson, 59, was forced out of office Last year, public anger erupted over revelations about a series of coronavirus-violating parties dubbed “Partygate.”

But at the inquest on Thursday he insisted the perception of the scandal was “far removed from the reality of what happened”.

It follows the former leader apologizing on Wednesday on his much-anticipated first day in the witness box for “the pain, loss and suffering” caused by the pandemic and accepting that “undoubtedly” had happened.

The UK experienced one of Europe’s longest and strictest lockdowns and one of the highest COVID-19 death tolls on the continent, with the virus recorded as the cause of death for more than 232,000 people – one of the worst official per capita toll rates among Western nations.

Johnson was heavily criticized by former advisers for alleged indecision and a lack of scientific understanding, as well as a Downing Street culture that enabled Partygate.

“I continue to deeply regret what happened,” Johnson said Thursday when asked about the scandal, before branding “dramatic depictions” of it a “travesty of the truth.”

“The version of events that has emerged into the public consciousness about what supposedly happened in Downing Street is miles away from the reality of what actually happened,” he added.

His aides and officers “thought they were working very, very hard – which they were – and I certainly thought what we were doing … was within the rules,” Johnson said.

Police last year fined the former leader and his then-finance minister and current prime minister Rishi Sunak, as well as dozens of staff members, for breaching COVID restrictions they had set in place by attending boisterous gatherings in Downing Street.

A parliamentary inquiry found that Johnson had repeatedly misled Parliament about the parties and resigned as an MP shortly before the results were published this year.

“Just not right”

Johnson’s backlash came as the inquiry’s lawyer, created to draw lessons from the country’s response to the health emergency, scrutinized his controversial decision-making as the virus recurred in 2020.

The ex-boss defended his decision to delay a nationwide lockdown during a second wave of COVID-19 and his internal use of the phrase “let it rip” to refer to a possible so-called herd immunity strategy.

Johnson claimed “many people” were using the phrase to describe the possible strategy of shielding the vulnerable and allowing the rest of the population to gain immunity.

He also denied suggestions that offering financial incentives to people to eat out after the first lockdown was lifted – Sunak’s signature policy – had led to a rise in infections.

“I can’t see anything that conclusively proves it made much of a difference,” he said. “If it was safe to open hospitality, then it must be safe for people to go to hospitality.”

On his first day of evidence, Johnson repeatedly insisted that he and officers had done their “best” and that his priority was always to save lives and the state’s National Health Service (NHS).

On Thursday, he appeared close to tears as he dismissed claims of “indifference” toward people with COVID-19 and recalled his own hospitalization with the virus.

“When I got to the intensive care unit, I saw a lot of people around me who weren’t really old. In fact, they were middle-aged men and they were just like me – and some of us would make it, some of us wouldn’t,” he said.

“The point I want to get to you – and the NHS, thank God, did a great job helping me survive – but I knew from that experience what a terrible disease this is. From March onwards I no longer had any doubts about that. To say that I didn’t care about the suffering inflicted on the country is simply not right.”

But the relatives of the bereaved were extremely critical.

On Wednesday, four women were evicted from the examination room after holding signs that read, “The dead cannot hear your apology.” Later, a crowd gathered outside the venue heckled loudly as he left for the day.

Sunak will face the inquiry on Monday.