MP calls on urgent reinstatement of gyms in Southport

Southport’s MP says he is calling on an urgent reinstatement of gyms and leisure centres in the town after it was revealed Lancashire’s Tier 3 Lockdown doesn’t impose the same business threatening rules.

Mr Moore said: “Gyms in Southport and the wider-Merseyside region must be allowed to reopen immediately. People living here should be no worse off than those living in Lancashire. We need fairness and parity in these restrictions – not a tier system within a tier system.

“Today’s announcement shows that the decision on gyms was down to local leaders – it was not a red line set by the government.”

However local leaders have claimed they are just as in the dark as the MP and have also called on the government to explain the completely different restrictions.

In a joint statement the Combined Authority leaders said “We note the decision to move Lancashire into Tier 3 today, while also being concerned that there appear to be differences between the two packages of measures, particularly the opening of gyms. We therefore require Government to explain, with evidence, why they believe gyms in the Liverpool City Region are a greater risk for COVID transmission, than those elsewhere.

“We simply will not accept our region being treated differently to other Tier 3 areas, without robust scientific evidence. These inconsistencies in restrictions between areas within the same tier risk undermining the new system from the beginning.

“So, today we are once again demanding that government urgently supplies us with the scientific evidence behind their decision to close gyms in our area, while allowing them to stay open in other areas.”

Southport’s MP Mr Moore however went on to say that he thought that there had been a lack of effort by local leaders.

He claimed “The Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has failed to represent people living on Merseyside. He didn’t fight hard enough for a better deal from the government and he failed to keep gyms open when leaders in Lancashire did. He could have kept gyms open when we went into Tier 3 status.

“I have written to the Secretary of State for Health this morning calling for the immediate reopening of gyms across our region as an integral part of improving people’s physical and mental health.”