Hotel owner accuses First Minister of ‘secretly’ extending Covid legislation
A leading hotelier has accused Mark Drakeford of “secretly” extending Covid-19 legislation by three months.
Jonathan Greatorex, owner of The Hand at Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, has been a vocal critic of the Welsh Government over its handling of the pandemic.
Greatorex, who also describes himself as a consumer and civil rights campaigner, hit out at the First Minister on Twitter.
He said: “Level 0”, yet you secretly extend Covid legislation for another 3 months? Is @fmwales so desperate to cling on to his self-indulged, Covid-fueled (sic) power trip that he can’t quite give up control yet?
He also posted a picture of the amendment which extended the period covered by the legislation from August 27 to November 26.
“Level 0”, yet you secretly extend Covid legislation for another 3 months? Is @fmwales so desperate to cling on to his self-indulged, Covid-fueled power trip that he can’t quite give up control yet? pic.twitter.com/mNwZogk5Xm
— Jonathan Greatorex (@greatorex) August 7, 2021
His stance was supported by Jim Jones, the chief executive of North Wales Tourism, who added: “It’s the only thing that keeps him relevant.”
Greatorex also hit out with an expletive filled rant in January after an investigation was launched into allegation that Senedd members were drinking alcohol during the pub booze ban in Wales.
The then Welsh Conservatives leader Paul Davies, Clwyd West MS Darren Millar, the party’s chief of staff Paul Smith and Labour’s Alun Davies all apologised for their behaviour.
‘Easily offended’
In his video posted on Twitter, he warned people who were easily offended to “switch off”.
He said: “My bar has been shut now for over a f****** month and we have four elected f****** members of Welsh Parliament who decide that the rules that apply to me don’t apply to them.
“Tens of thousands of people in Wales have lost their jobs in this industry, in hospitality, and they have got the disgrace, the insult, to think that the rules don’t apply to them when they apply to us.
“Shall I just open my f****** bar if the f****** rules don’t apply?”
He claimed he has had police and licensing people ensuring he was complying with regulations but that he was always “applying by the rules”.
“But those four f****** melts in the Welsh Assembly decide it does not apply to them,” he adds.
He later told North Wales Live: “I just think that Welsh hospitality has given its all to protect the NHS and save lives. We have no more to give and when we hear about the ‘rule makers’ treating us with contempt like this, it is a step too far.
“Everyone involved, all the way down the supply chain to the farmers producing Welsh produce is suffering with no roadmap out. The time has come for us to start saving livelihoods as well as lives.”
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Mark Drakeford has done an outstanding job of keeping us as safe as possible during the pandemic and I for one appreciate him.
I certainly don’t appreciate these two reprobates Greatorex and Jones. I’ll be giving their businesses a wide berth: wouldn’t feel safe.
Is Jonathan Gatorade a pseudonym for Mark Rhydderch-Roberts?
Basil Fawlty…
My bro in law had bad asthma and he works all day in a mask.
If you are on oxygen (I’m guessing you must be if you can’t cope with just 10 minutes in a mask) you can get an exemption I am sure. Ring your GP about getting one
So secret he has copies on twitter. Surely even this moron can see the smoking remains of the sandal he just shot?
Such a leading hotelier that he is trying to destroy a lucrative source of tourist cash by killing the Powys “Dark Skies” zone by campaigning for more, bigger street lights. I wonder what the IPCC think of him? Or is it all asterisks?
Seems to me that Jonathan Greatorex will complain about ANYTHING that the Senedd did. He seems like a born complain. And with Jones of the WTB in agreement you need say no more.
Not much of a livelihood if you are dead
Professional moaner with an extended whining device somewhere in his anatomy. Shame he wasn’t a touch more militant about denouncing those 4 wasters in the Senedd who ignored the rules at the time. There again 3 of them were Tories and he wouldn’t wish to hack his own allies and kindred spirits.
I disagree, as Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales for the first 14 months of this pandemic, both I and my colleagues as well as the 4 Chief Constables were regularly briefed by Director level people in Welsh Government on steps taken to tackle the pandemic. We were also invited to meetings where the First Minister and Deputy First Minister briefed leaders of the 22 Local Authorities as well as chairs of Health Boards and us on changes. Frank discussion were had and we fed in our views, agreeing or disagreeing. The vast majority of decisions we agreed with… Read more »