Sadiq Khan MP was on Good Morning Britain discussing how Londoners and the rest of England will be joining the other nations in wearing face masks and coverings in shops and supermarkets after Prime Minister Boris Johnson made it compulsory from July 24. Kicking off the interview, presenter Kate Garraway gave the London Mayor the chance to explain the situation he was in on Friday, whereby video footage was posted to social media showing him partaking in an interview, talking about the importance of face masks and not wearing one himself. Resident host GMB Piers Morgan blasted the politician and today, Khan hit back.
“You yourself has received some flack – maybe unfairly – because you’ve been pictured not wearing one sometimes and yet advocating wearing them at other times,” Garraway began.
“Good morning Kate, so I’m at home now in South London,” Khan reasoned, explaining why he wasn’t wearing a mask since he was indoors.
“I think your colleague Piers Morgan criticised me because on Friday, I was at Applebee’s in Borough Market,” Khan added.
“[I was] outdoors, socially distancing more than two-metres from the journalist who teased me for making sure I was two-metres from him – and I was there to promote the importance of Borough Market and people safely returning to Borough Market and other places.
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“But I was socially distancing and I was actually there to promote the wearing of face coverings in shops and indoor confined spaces where it’s not possible to keep your distance.
“And this one small thing, in addition to other measures can make a big difference in reducing the spread of the virus,” Khan argued.
It comes after Morgan took to Twitter and retweeted the video which shows Khan expressing his opinion on wearing face masks and coverings in indoor spaces and shops.
Morgan wrote alongside the tweet: “He says, wearing no mask.”
Express.co.uk has contacted Morgan’s representative and they have declined to comment.
“What I would say, is don’t be alarmed by this new rule, in fact I wish it was being brought in today rather than next Friday, but this will help all of us be safer and could prevent a second wave and could prevent a second lockdown which none of us want,” The London Mayor continued.
Since mid-May, the public have been advised to wear a face-covering of some sort in enclosed public spaces.
For transport, it has been compulsory in England since 15 June.
Those who now fail to comply with the new rules will face a fine of up to £100 which is set to be policed by transport and retail staff.
It follows a reported increase in the use of face coverings by those living in England, Scotland and Wales.
Apparently, more than half of the adults surveyed by the Office for National Statistics in the first week of July said they used a covering while outside their home.
According to the latest UK figures, the number of people who have now tested positive for COVID-19 has now reached over 290,000 with the number of fatalities standing at 44,830.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
