Pub renames itself The Lying B****** in dig at Boris Johnson
A landlord who has repeatedly changed the name of his pub to poke fun at various political scandals has hinted he’s planning another rebrand.
What was once the James Atherton pub in New Brighton, near Liverpool, could soon become ‘The Lying B******’ after the revelations about parties held in Downing Street during lockdown.
Owner Daniel Davies teased customers by sharing a new artwork showing the Prime Minister with a bottle in hand and wearing a party hat.
The pub was previously named ‘The Three B***ends’ and its sign featured a collage of Boris Johnson, Matt Hancock and Dominic Cummings with bells on their heads in October 2020.
It was said to be a tongue-in-cheek protest when the Liverpool City Region was placed into Tier Three lockdown, forcing pubs to close.
Following Mr Cummings’ departure from Downing Street in November 2020, the pub was re-christened ‘The Two Helmets’; poking fun at the PM and his former health secretary.
Both were shown wearing hardhats as the landlord protested about continuing restrictions on the pub-trade.
Mr Davies pointed out that both Mr Hancock and Mr Cummings, the PM’s former chief advisor, quit their positions within weeks of the signs going up.
He tweeted: ‘Next name change for the pub.?? The first was The Three B***ends (Cummings went a few weeks later) Next was The Two Helmets (Hancock went a few weeks later) So. Two down one to go!’
Back during the first rebrand, Daniel said it was due to the government blaming the leisure sector for the spread of Covid-19.
He said previously: ‘Our business has been decimated and their lack of action has compounded the problem. Westminster’s further decision to pick and choose which types of venue may open, based on those serving meals for example, is mind-boggling.
‘Whilst the renaming of the pub is clearly tongue in cheek, as far as I’m concerned the gloves are off and ministers need to understand the gravity of the perilous situation they have placed us in.
‘This is a town that finally feels like it’s on the up and we need funding immediately to protect our businesses and support our staff.’
Mr Johnson this week admitted attending the ‘BYOB’ party at Downing Street, held in May 2020, when social gatherings were restricted to just two people.
He told MPs during Prime Ministers Questions that he thought it was a ‘work event’ as he mingled with staff for 25 minutes before returning to his office.
An email obtained by ITV News showed that 100 staff had been invited to the party by Martin Reynolds, a Downing Street advisor.
The email said that the staff should ‘make the most of the lovely weather’, despite the rest of the British public being warned not to socialise on the hottest day of the year.
Today, Conservative party chairman Olicer Dowden said the Prime Minister is ‘contrite’ over allegations of Covid rule-breaking and will seek to ‘address the underlying culture in Downing Street’.
He admitted there were ‘failings’ in No 10, following a series of leaks about alleged lockdown parties, but he denied it was a resigning matter for Boris Johnson.
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