'Don't let everyone down': Boris Johnson pleads with revellers to be 'sensible' when pubs reopen tomorrow as GMB poll reveals 90% of Britons are dubbing it 'Stupid Saturday' and will be staying at home over safety fears
- Boris Johnson has appealed for the public to show restraint on 'Super Saturday'
- Lockdown easing in England from tomorrow with pubs set to open once more
- Poll shows that 90 per cent of voters are dubbing tomorrow 'Stupid Saturday'
Boris Johnson has today pleaded with revellers to be 'sensible' when pubs reopen tomorrow as many Britons reveal they will stay home instead.
The Prime Minister said that he wanted people to use the loosening of lockdown in England from tomorrow to 'enjoy summer'.
But he insists that the success of the move is down to whether people act 'responsibly', urging the public not to 'let down' the sectors of the economy that desperately need to reopen safely.
Mr Johnson made the appeal in an LBC radio phone-in this morning as a poll by ITVs Good Morning Britain (GMB) showed nearly 90 per cent of voters are dubbing tomorrow 'Stupid Saturday' instead of 'Super Saturday'.
Social media users appear far from excited about pubs in England reopening, with many tweeting they will keep clear of boozers tomorrow.
While some want to stay away from the possible 'carnage', others are concerned about a potential rise in cases of Covid-19.
Speaking in a phone-in on LBC radio this morning, Boris Johnson said he wanted people to use the loosening of lockdown in England from tomorrow to 'enjoy summer'
A poll by ITV's Good Morning Britain (GMB) shows that nearly 90 per cent of voters are choosing to dub 'Super Saturday' as 'Stupid Saturday instead'
Punters are pictured out drinking by Wandsworth Common in London at The Althorpe pub
Mr Johnson said there was a need to proceed 'carefully and cautiously'.
'Tomorrow we come to step three of the plan that I set out on May 10, that everybody, I think, has understood, or huge numbers of people have understood and followed very carefully and very closely,' he told LBC.
'And it's because people stuck to that plan that we're now able to carefully and cautiously open up hospitality tomorrow. And my message is really for people to enjoy summer sensibly and make sure that it all works.'
The PM will use a Downing Street press conference today to warn that the Government could 'put on the brakes' and bring back severe restrictions if there is a surge in cases, as has been witnessed in Leicester.
The relaxation in England is set to be a key test of the progress made by imposing draconian restrictions on March 23 to halt the spread of Covid-19.
A member of staff at The Althorp by Wandsworth Common wears PPE while serving customers
Social media users tweeted that they will be keeping clear of pubs in England tomorrow
Official pleas for calm tomorrow are being echoed by the public, as social media users tweet about keeping clear of pubs in England on 'Super Saturday'.
'In a pandemic, pubs have a new licence, a licence to contaminate, a licence to kill,' one social media user tweeted this morning.
Another post read: 'Why is the reopening of pubs tomorrow being called Super Saturday? Carnage Saturday seems more appropriate.'
One person commented: 'Is anyone actually going to the pub tomorrow or are they are all doing the same thing and "wait until it dies down"?'
'#StayHomeSaturday #ProtectNHS,' one tweet read. 'StopTheSpread. Drink at home, don't risk spreading Covid-19 please.'
Another said 'if I see anyone going to the pubs on reopening I will unfriend u on sight', while one added: 'The list time this country had a super Saturday, we were celebrating incredible sports people winning gold medals. Now they are using the phrase to celebrate pubs reopening and people most probably getting drunk.
'Change the phrase, because tomorrow is not going to be super.'
Pub landlord William Douglas told GMB today that he has chosen not to reopen Docks Beer in Grimsby amid concerns for health and safety.
Social media users tweeted that they will be keeping clear of pubs in England tomorrow
'We've put a lot of thought into this, he said. 'We feel now is not the right time for is. We'd like to avoid that first wave of enthusiasm as people return to the pubs on what is typically the busiest drinking day of the week.
'Our first concern is the health and safety of our staff and customers.
'We announced on social media a few days that we wouldn't be reopening on July 4 and would be delaying reopening. We had hundreds of messages of support and no negative feedback, so we feel that decision is vindicated.
'We are taking a "wait and see" approach. It will be later in July and possibly even in August. We are mindful of that spike in Leicester.
Tomorrow is expected to be a wash-out as pubs in England reopen after months of lockdown
'We hear that Doncaster down the road, 53 miles down the road from us, is not far behind. This disease has not gone away.
'We're one of the busiest pubs in North East Lincolnshire and when we do reopen it is absolutely essential that we do so with all the correct processes in place and we can manage what can be up to 400 people in this building - which is a challenge.'
Today, Mr Johnson will paint the easing as a means of supporting the livelihoods of bosses and their employees but warn 'we are not out of the woods yet'.
'They are our local restaurants, hairdressers, libraries, museums, cinemas, and yes, pubs.
'They are also hotels, B&Bs, indeed much of our tourism industry,' he will say, according to an extract released to the media ahead of the speech.
'All these businesses and their workers have put in a heroic effort to prepare their venues for this reopening, to work out a way to trade in a way that keeps their customers safe.
'But the success of these businesses, the livelihoods of those who rely on them, and ultimately the economic health of the whole country is dependent on every single one of us acting responsibly.
'We must not let them down. The virus is still with us and the spike in Leicester has shown that. If it starts running out of control again the Government will not hesitate in putting on the brakes and re-imposing restrictions.
'Anyone who flouts social distancing and Covid-secure rules is not only putting us all at risk but letting down those businesses and workers who have done so much to prepare for this new normal.'
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said Mr Johnson's message was that people should not 'overdo it'.
Asked if Mr Johnson would be visiting a pub or restaurant tomorrow, the spokesman said: 'He's talked about his enthusiasm for a haircut and pint previously but I don't know exactly what he's doing on Saturday yet.'
The spokesman added that it would be 'plain for all to see next week what he's been doing at the weekend' if he gets his blonde mop trimmed over the weekend.
It comes after the Treasury was forced to delete a tweet from its official account on Wednesday evening urging people to 'grab a drink and raise a glass, pubs are reopening their doors from 4 July'.
A Treasury source said: 'We got it wrong on this and the tweet was quickly removed.'
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiZ2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5bWFpbC5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGUtODQ4NjQ4My9Cb3Jpcy1Kb2huc29uLXBsZWFkcy1Ccml0b25zLXNlbnNpYmxlLXB1YnMtcmVvcGVuLmh0bWzSAWtodHRwczovL3d3dy5kYWlseW1haWwuY28udWsvbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlLTg0ODY0ODMvYW1wL0JvcmlzLUpvaG5zb24tcGxlYWRzLUJyaXRvbnMtc2Vuc2libGUtcHVicy1yZW9wZW4uaHRtbA?oc=5
2020-07-03 10:05:35Z
52780892069249
