Mayor blasts “irresponsible promises” from No.10 amid Tier 4 chaos
Sadiq Khan tonight criticised the Government’s “irresponsible promises” for raising expectations ahead of the Christmas period.
In a dramatic afternoon statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced London would be moving into a lockdown similar to that saw in spring, from midnight tonight.
It means that the capital’s residents will no longer be able to meet family during the festive period.
Read more: What does London heading into Tier 4 mean for you?
The Mayor described the further restrictions, which limit social contact and will see retail and many leisure venues shut yet again, as a “bitter blow.”
“This continued chaos,” he added, “could all have been avoided had the Government not made irresponsible promises to the public and raised expectations ahead of the Christmas period.”
Johnson has previously described the idea of restricting family gatherings at Christmas as “inhuman” but the rapid spread of a new mutation of Covid-19 appears to have changed his mind.
Khan called for a more generous support scheme for workers set to lose income over the festive period as well as a faster rollout of mass testing.
London First, a lobby group working on behalf of the capital’s businsses, warned that the new restrictions “could see many businesses go under.”
Jasmine Whitbread, the group’s chief executive, said the “stop-start measures” needed to be matched by Government support and tax relief to allow firms to get back on their feet.
Read more: London moved into effective lockdown after PM effectively cancels Christmas