A petition doing rounds on social media is urging for a town's mayor to resign after he was caught breaking lockdown rules on Tuesday, 27th July. The mayor of Luton, Cllr Tahir Malik attended a packed garden party with at least twelve other men, in breach of social distancing rules flouting lockdown rules shortly before the town was declared a coronavirus hotspot. Pictures appeared on social media of a large gathering at a house in Luton, attended by Labour mayor Tahir Malik and councillors Asif Masood and Waheed Akbar.
During the pandemic Cllr Malik had repeatedly urged Luton’s Muslim community to follow government guidelines “for their own and loved ones’ safety”, including staying at home during the Eid festival. Now, the men have apologised saying they were "sorry that we did not live up to the standards that are rightly expected of us," and both the council and Labour Party said they would investigate.
Luton has been designated as an "area of intervention" by Public Health England through a rise in cases. And the petition has been signed by more than 2,000 people in two days.
