Broadcaster Piers Morgan is being branded a hypocrite for blasting the reopening of pubs as “insane,” after praising his own son for attending a Black Lives Matter protest, where many flouted social distancing guidelines.
Morgan has won a lot of grudging admirers for repeatedly highlighting the failures of the UK government during the coronavirus pandemic. But the Good Morning Britain host has now found himself at the receiving end of criticism for his, seemingly contradictory, positions on people gathering in public.
“WHAT? This is insane,” the outspoken commentator wrote on Twitter in response to news of Britain’s pubs being given the green light to open from 6am on Saturday.
“Reopening Britain’s pubs on a sunny Saturday in July was dumb enough. Letting them open from 6am is stupefyingly stupid. Does anyone at No10 have a brain? Or do they just want us all to die? Serious questions,” Morgan added.
In early June, Morgan tweeted that he was “proud” of his son Stanley for going to a Black Lives Matter protest. The message came after the Guido Fawkes news blog ran a story about the 22-year-old attending the mass gathering.
pic.twitter.com/lGceKhBoJw
“He told me he maintained social distancing as best he could in the large crowd. Not easy given many others weren’t, but I’m glad he tried,” Morgan wrote.
The remarks have come back to haunt Morgan, with many referencing his stance on his son attending the protest and noting an apparent lack of consistency in the TV presenter’s views. “And having marches when we were on lockdown that was quite dumb as well but your son still took part,” one popular response read.
And having marches when we were on lockdown that was quite dumb aswell but your son still took part
Here he goes again….#BritainsBiggestHypocrite ? pic.twitter.com/3wkteC2mfR
You literally applauded your son on here for attending an enormous gathering, thousands on the streets a month ago!
Morgan also found himself embroiled in a war of words with former England cricket captain Kevin Pietersen over the reopening of pubs. The unfriendly exchange saw Pietersen brand the broadcaster a “fat boy” and Morgan threaten to “crush” the ex-sportsman.
You won’t because a) that would be a breach of social distancing rules, and b) I’d crush you like one of your beloved rhinos. https://t.co/veUQILMPjE
The UK government said the decision to allow pubs to open at 6am on Saturday was an effort to avoid a rush of drinkers descending on bars as the lockdown is lifted.
“The reopening of pubs and bars specifically comes into force at 6am. That would just be in the event anybody would attempt to try to open at midnight,” a Downing Street spokesman said.
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