Newcastle chef makes sly dig at Boris in BBC interview with ‘British tits’ poster as North East lockdown starts
A NEWCASTLE chef made a sly dig at Boris Johnson in a BBC interview this morning.
He included the PM in a poster of “British tits”, sticking a photo of him among native birds.
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Max Gott appeared on the BBC today to discuss new restrictions banning people in the North East from meeting inside homes.
From today people living in Newcastle, Gateshead, North and South Tyneside, Northumberland, Durham and Sunderland are banned from mixing with other households.
Owner of Bistro Forty-Six, Mr Gott, from Newcastle, said: “It’s sad for a business to watch something like that fall away in one go.
“Every week just gets harder so we can’t take on more staff at the moment.
“We’re having to diversify – we are opening as a takeaway as well with a slightly different concept of what we currently do and I think that’s the only way we can go forward.
“It makes it so hard to operate, we constantly feel that if we do something wrong it’s our licence, it’s our livelihood that’s going to come under fire.
“You could have a table of six of two households, but now it’s against the law to have a table of six with two households, we just need clarifications.”
‘JUST GETS HARDER’
He has previously criticised the Government’s response to the pandemic.
On Twitter, he wrote: “Dear Boris Johnson. We are running at 40% capacity. Even if we are full 7 days a week we will not break even.
“Its physically not possible for us to make money under current guidance. We need help! You absolute weapon. Much love, Every independent restaurant.”
Existing measures for the region are being tightened at the request of local councils because the virus is still spreading, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said.
He said: “The incidence rate across the area is now over 100 cases per 100,000. We know that a large number of these infections are taking place in indoor settings outside the home.
“And so at the request of the local councils, with whom we have been working closely, we will introduce legal restrictions on indoor mixing between households in any setting.”
The incidence rate across the area is now over 100 cases per 100,000. We know that a large number of these infections are taking place in indoor settings outside the home.
Matt Hancock
In response to questions, Mr Johnson said: “In the North East and other areas where extra-tight measures have been brought in, you should follow the guidance of local authorities but it is six in a home, six in hospitality but, as I understand it, not six outside.”
But he later tweeted: “Apologies, I misspoke today. In the North East, new rules mean you cannot meet people from different households in social settings indoors, including in pubs, restaurants and your home. You should also avoid socialising with other households outside.”
The Prime Minister will lead a Covid-19 briefing later after the UK recorded the highest number of daily coronavirus cases since the outbreak began.
Boris Johnson will be joined by chief medical officer for England professor Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, in what will be the 100th coronavirus briefing since the pandemic hit the UK.
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The last time the three men appeared together at the podiums was September 9 when Mr Johnson outlined the “rule of six” and urged people to limit their social contact “as much as possible”.
As of 9am on Tuesday, there had been a further 7,143 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK – the highest daily figure recorded since the outbreak began, although far more tests are being carried out than in the spring.
A further 71 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Tuesday, bringing the UK total to 42,072 – although separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate in nearly 57,900 cases.
