• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics

Downing Street ties itself in knots to defend Gove

Gove was pictured without a mask in Pret A Manger yesterday morning

Henry Goodwin by Henry Goodwin
2020-07-15 16:55
in Politics
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Confusion abounds over government policy on wearing face coverings in sandwich shops – as Downing Street appeared to change its guidance to defend Michael Gove.

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, had said that masks would need to be worn in shops when the law is enforced to tackle the spread of coronavirus in England from 24 July.

However, Number 10 later said that there would be exemptions for takeaway purchases.

The contradiction came after Gove, the minister for the Cabinet Office, was photographed uncovered in Pret A Manger in Westminster – after insisting that it was “basic good manners” to wear a mask.

Gove was pictured mask-less just minutes after Development Secretary Liz Truss had left the exact same shop wearing a blue face mask.

‘In any shop, you do need a mask’

Questioned over which of his Cabinet colleagues was correct, Hancock told Sky News: “You do need to wear a mask in Pret because Pret is a shop.

“If there’s table service, it is not necessary to have a mask. But in any shop, you do need a mask. So if you’re going up to the counter in Pret to buy takeaway that is a shop… but if you go to your local pub you can’t go to the bar.”

RelatedPosts

PMQs 18th May – Bird crap on the PM as rest of us are left in the sh*t

Watch: First pictures and video of Kenneth Brannagh’s portrayal of Boris Johnson

Michael Fabricant calls on fellow Tory MPs to turn up to PMQs- to prove they’re not the alleged rapist

Crowdfunder started to buy the World’s biggest egg for Grantham

But Boris Johnson’s official spokesman later gave an alternative explanation.

He said: “We will be publishing the full guidance shortly but my understanding is that it wouldn’t be mandatory if you went in, for example, to a sandwich shop in order to get a takeaway to wear a face covering.

“It is mandatory … we are talking about supermarkets and other shops rather than food shops.”

Hancock defended Gove by saying that the photographs had been snapped “before I announced the change in policy to the House of Commons”, on Tuesday afternoon. But the pictures had been taken that morning – after the policy was announced in a press release to journalist.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who was previously criticised for not wearing a face covering during a visit to Wagamama, later came down on the side of wearing masks in Pret when he posted an image of himself during a well-covered visit to the sandwich chain.

Making the most of @Pret's price cut in response to the VAT reduction that takes effect today for the tourism and hospitality sectors.

As part of our #PlanForJobs this temporary cut will help over 150,000 businesses protect the jobs of 2.4 million people. pic.twitter.com/mSh6jOvBlp

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) July 15, 2020

The law change announced in the Commons on Tuesday afternoon came after a period of confusion, which Labour seized on as “days of ministerial muddle”.

On Friday, Mr Johnson said the Government was looking at “stricter” rules.

But on Sunday Mr Gove said he did not believe face coverings should be mandatory and that it was better to “trust people’s common sense”, adding that it was “basic good manners” to cover up in shops.

However, the Cabinet disagreement was won by those in favour of masks, and failure to wear face coverings in shops in England can be punished with a £100 fine from July 24.

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Dieting ‘can reverse diabetes’ – Type 2 diabetes ‘can be reversed by low-calorie diet’

Iran’s Rouhani says U.S. actions threaten Middle East stability

In the Post-Covid world who gets to shape the new normal?

Tories fined £17,800 over donation for refurbishment of Boris Johnson’s flat

An Idiot’s Adventures In Gameland – Steve McNeil

Restaurant Review – Plateau

Michael Owen has a pop at Aston Villa instead of Newcastle United

Birmingham City FC fan has been forced to get a tattoo of Garry Monk on his behind

Elevenses: ‘If Not Now, When?’

Forgotten Film Friday: In the Mood for Love

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.