The owner of a gym who was fined £30,000 after refusing to close his gym during lockdown has criticised Boris Johnson over the recent reports of Christmas parties alleged to have taken place at No10 last year.
Steven Todd said Mr Johnson was living according to a ‘two-tier system’ in which those in power follow different rules to the rest of the country.
Mr Todd was ordered by a district judge to close his Reps gym in Preston, Lancashire, for three months in February after it was revealed that he had kept it open during lockdown, reports LancsLive.
The closure order was issued following a number of police raids that found gym-goers inside the premises when it was illegal to attend such a facility.
Preston Magistrates’ Court heard there had been “at least 15 occasions when gyms were not permitted to open when Mr Todd was open for business”.
Mr Todd was issued three £10,000 fixed penalty notices for breaching coronavirus legislation. Despite losing his case in court, he has vowed not to pay the fines
Responding to the recent reports of alleged parties and gatherings taking place at No10 over the Christmas period last year, Mr Todd accused the government of hypocrisy, saying that "there’s rules for us and rules for them".
"How can they have a party when they want all of us lot to go around with masks in the shops?" he asked.
“It’s like a two-tier system. There’s rules for us and rules for them.
“I thought there was laws for us all but it doesn’t seem to be the case and that’s not very fair.”
Mr Todd further accused Mr Johnson's government of "flouting" the very legislation it had created.
"If you’re making legislation then you should be following it and setting an example, not flouting it," he said.
“You can’t expect us to. Last Christmas, no one was allowed in anyone’s house - that’s not right.
“You can’t say that and then have parties in Downing Street?
“It’s 100% unfair.”
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