Minister mistakenly confuses where Liverpool is in live TV gaffe

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A MINISTER today mistakenly confused where Liverpool was in an on-air TV gaffe.

Robert Jenrick slipped up and said the city was in the North East of England – when it’s actually in the North West.

In a slip of the tongue on telly this morning, he said when discussing local lockdowns: “We’re taking more significant action.

“That’s what you saw happening in parts of the North East, like Liverpool for example.”

Liverpool was handed more lockdown rules earlier this week – which will come in tomorrow – banning inter-household mixing in law meaning people face £200 fines for breaching them.

The new rules, which also urge people not to take public transport unless they have to, and to avoid live sport, will come into force tomorrow.

Other politicians took to Twitter to poke fun at Mr Jenrick for his mistake.

Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said: “Is it any wonder we feel like we’re not being listened to when the Communities Secretary can’t even find us on a map?”

Shadow Local Government Minister Kate Hollern tweeted: “Hardly suprised communities in the North feel hard done by – the Communities Secretary couldn’t even locate us on a map. Compare that to Labour who want local leaders to be given a voice.

Newcastle Labour MP Chi Onwurah tweeted: “Seriously?

“It’s not just that they don’t know what’s happening they don’t know where they don’t know what’s happening…”

A worker spray cleans the Beatles statue in Liverpool as new lockdown restrictions are announced in the city

 

Many of the local leaders have claimed that the decisions over lockdowns were being made without enough consulation with them.

Ministers have promised to include them in making calls.

But yesterday Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston erupted with fury over new changes to the law in his area – despite calling for more rules earlier this week.

He vowed to “defy” the new rules – even though he has no power to do so.

Warrington, Hartlepool and Halton will also face new restrictions from midnight tonight.

It brings the total number of people across the UK under some form of local lockdown to more than 22million.