Boris Johnson today enjoyed his first post-lockdown pint in a pub beer garden as he hit the campaign trail in Wolverhampton.
The Prime Minister pulled a pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord pale ale at the Mount Tavern this afternoon.
He then proceeded to drink it outside alongside Andy Street, the Conservative Mayor of the West Midlands, who is up for re-election next month.
The Prime Minister pulled a pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord pale ale at the Mount Tavern this afternoon
Mr Johnson could be heard saying ‘here’s to step two’ when he raised his glass for his first sip, in reference to the second stage of his lockdown exit roadmap
Mr Johnson could be heard saying ‘here’s to step two’ when he raised his glass for his first sip, in reference to the second stage of his lockdown exit roadmap.
The Prime Minister had been due to go for his first pint last Monday, the day on which hospitality businesses across England were allowed to reopen to customers outside.
But his visit was cancelled following the death of Prince Philip which saw the Government engage in a period of formal national mourning.
Mr Johnson tweeted this afternoon: ‘Great to be back at the pub again, and to see so many reunited with friends and family.
‘We’ve worked so hard to get to this point. Let’s keep going. Remember hands, face, space & fresh air.’
Mr Johnson’s trip to the pub went considerably more smoothly than that of his Labour counterpart Sir Keir Starmer.
Mr Johnson was campaigning alongside Andy Street, the Conservative Mayor of the West Midlands, who is up for re-election next month
The Labour leader was thrown out of a pub in Bath today after being confronted by a Labour-supporting landlord, furious that Sir Keir had supported the lockdown which had closed his business for months.
In astonishing scenes, Rod Humphris, the lockdown-sceptic landlord of the Raven, had to be held back by the Opposition Leader’s security guards as he demanded he leave, shouting, ‘that man is not allowed in my pub’ and ‘get out of my pub’.
The incident was captured on camera by reporters amid a visit to the city to support West of England metro mayoral candidate Dan Norris ahead of the forthcoming elections.
Mr Johnson had earlier hit his own campaign stumbling block after he was unable to name the current mayor of the West of England – despite the regional leader being a Conservative.
The PM was asked during a campaign visit to Gloucestershire ahead of local elections next month if he was able to name Tim Bowles, the incumbent mayor who was elected in 2017.
Mr Johnson replied: ‘I’m very much in favour of powerful mayors in the West of England and elsewhere.
The Prime Minister was asked during a campaign visit to Gloucestershire ahead of local elections next month if he was able to name Tim Bowles, the incumbent Tory mayor for the West of England, but he was unable to do so
Mr Bowles announced he will step down from the post at the end of his first term, with four candidates running to be his successor in next month’s election
‘But what I want to see is a strong Conservative mayor in London and across the West Midlands and West of England and across the whole of the country.’
Told that the current mayor for the West of England is a Tory, and asked again to name him, Mr Johnson said: ‘Well I can tell you I’ll be out campaigning for the West of England mayor, and all Conservative candidates, throughout the week.’
Told that he did not appear to know who Mr Bowles is and that voters could find local elections confusing given they may be voting for councillors, police and crime commissioners and mayors, the PM replied: ‘There is a very simple solution, is vote Conservative, you won’t go wrong. That’s my answer.’
Mr Bowles is the first metro mayor for the West of England Combined Authority, made up of three of the councils in the region – Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
He will step down from the post at the end of his first term, with four candidates running to be his successor in next month’s election.