West Dorset MP spends Christmas trapped in Tier 4 London
Chris Loder is condemning scenes from London train stations on Saturday showing thousands scrambling to escape toughest restrictions.
Last updated 23rd Dec 2020
West Dorset’s MP Chris Loder will be spending Christmas in Tier 4 London after Saturday’s announcement from the Prime Minister.
During Boris Johnson’s announcement he said that no one should leave or enter Tier 4 areas, and Tier 4 residents must not stay overnight away from home.
As Chris was in London at the time, he is taking the advice to stay where he is, away from his family for the holidays.
Chris said:
“I was in London at the weekend when the prime minister announced the Tier 4 arrangements for London so that means for me, for the purposes of coming home to see my family and so on, I'm bound by those restrictions. I, very sadly, for the first time in my life have to stay in London over Christmas.
“I suppose in the grander scheme of things it's a small sacrifice to have to pay for the health and wellbeing of many people this year you know compared to the sacrifices that so many people have made this year.
“I appreciate I'm not the only person as well many families in West Dorset will have similar difficulties particularly parents that won't be able to see their children because they are I'm still at work or in a Tier 4 area not able to come home so you know it's quite sad in many ways.”
It follows a change in Christmas rules, stating that people will only be allowed to form a Christmas bubble of three households on Christmas day.
Chris also condemned the scenes at many London railway stations on Saturday evening showing thousands attempting to flee the city before restrictions came into play. He said:
“I recall vividly the prime minister saying just after four o'clock on Saturday that we shouldn't go back if you're in London or a Tier 4 area I was quite disappointed, actually to see television pictures depicting trains incredibly busy, whether that was from St Pancras or Paddington or any of the other London stations.
“And I just think that actually given the new strain of Coronavirus that is prevalent in Essex, in Kent and some here in London as well, we need to take that advice, seriously, so when I think the chief medical officer on the television, when asked said if you have packed your bags, you should unpack them.
“Well, I took that advice quite literally, so that's why I shall be here in London over Christmas.”