Despite lockdown measures being strengthened in the town of Luton, the town mayor and local councilors have been the recipient of demands to resign over alleged hypocrisy.
The Mayor of Luton and two Labour Party councillors apologised “unreservedly to the people of Luton” for breaching lockdown rules in a statement in Luton Today on Friday.
They said that they should have “left immediately”, and that it is a matter of “sincere regret for each of us that we did not do so”.
Mayor Tahir Malik and the two councillors were photographed breaking lockdown restrictions at a party only days before Public Health England (PHE) warned about rising cases of coronavirus in the area.
Posts on social media show Mayor Malik, councillors Waheed Akbar, and Asif Masood, and nine other men participating in an illicit outdoor gathering on Tuesday.
Current guidelines across the country limit gatherings to groups of, pertaining to social distancing.
Almost none of the men can be seen wearing face masks, with the Mayor’s covering falling under his chin in two photos.
The photos led to outrage from the town residents, seeing over 100 people signed a petition demanding the Mayor’s resignation.
A spokesman for Luton Borough Council acknowledged that the council had received complaints concerning the conduct of the three councillors.
Labour’s Chief Whip is investigating the breath of lockdown and rules and a spokesman from the eastern branch of the party reiterated the importance “for those in positions of authority to be setting the right example”.
Luton has been placed alongside Blackburn, Darwen, and Leicester as a top priority in PHE’s Covid-19 watchlist.
According to the most recent data on the rolling seven-day rate of coronavirus cases in local authorities, Luton has seen a spike from 23.4 to 37.4 cases per 100,000 people.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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