City left in dark over ‘shambolic’ lockdown announcement – mayor
THE mayor of Leicester said the city has been left “out in the dark, very frustrated and very angry” after the Government’s “shambolic” lockdown announcement.
Sir Peter Soulsby said Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s words were “an inadequate response to the last four weeks of lockdown we have had to suffer”, describing the decisions made about the city as an “afterthought”.
The Government announced on Thursday that pubs, cafes and restaurants can reopen in Leicester from Monday.
The Department for Health and Social Care said hairdressers, cinemas and museums would also be able to open, but socialgathering restrictions would remain in place for the city, and leisure centres, gyms and public swimming pools would also remain closed. All restrictions in
neighbouring Oadby and Wigston will be lifted, it added.
Giving his reaction to the Government’s announcement, Sir Peter said: “Once again, it was shambolic. What we saw [on Thursday] was something that left us here in Leicester out in the dark, very frustrated, very angry. What the Government did, I can’t help but feel, was make it up as they went along and frankly that’s not the way to deal with this.”
The mayor said he wished the city had clarity on what it all meant, adding: “We’re beginning to get clarity but even now there’s a number of questions about travel and other aspects of this that haven’t been spelt out – and the people of Leicester are turning to me and the council and asking what can we do, and when can we do it.”
Asked if he had been in contact with local authorities in the North West affected by the harsher restrictions imposed on Thursday night, Sir Peter said: “I’ve had a lot of contact with local authorities and mayors from up and down the land – who have particularly expressed sympathy with what I’ve been saying all along about how difficult it has been to get useful data from the Government.”