Why Hartlepool bar owner has strung up Christmas jumpers in 'scumbag' Boris Johnson protest

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Angry John Gate, the owner of Idols, in Church Street, Hartlepool, has also paid for an accompanying banner to be made, which reads: “Sorry we are closed…….Just like our Christmas jumpers, we’ve been hung out to dry.”

The £25 banner goes on to quote Fairytale of New York, the classic festive song by The Pogues, in referring to Mr Johnson as “you scumbag, you maggot”.

Mr Gate, who has run the town centre bar for 15 years, said: “It sums up exactly how we feel. We’ve been hung out to dry by the Prime Minister.

John Gate outside of Idols, Church Street, Hartlepool, with his Christmas jumper protest against Boris Johnson.

"Pubs and restaurants are the last places to remain closed and yet we brought in social distancing measures, extra security, track and trace, you name it.

"The shops aren’t doing track and trace and look at the supermarkets and shops now with Christmas approaching. People are climbing over each other.”

Hartlepool, along with the rest of the North East, was placed in tier three by the Government at the end of the last coronavirus lockdown, meaning the region’s bars and restaurants can only currently offer takeout services.

While Mr Gate insists Idols will eventually reopen – “we’re lucky in that we own our building” – it won’t be in time for Christmas even if the region is placed in tier two after the planned December 16 nationwide review.

Hartlepool bar owner John Gate feels Prime Minister Boris Johnson has hung pubs out to dry with ongoing coronavirus closures.

Mr Gate, 52, said: “You cannot open just like that. You have to order in stock and all our staff have found other jobs.

“It is devastating. This is usually our busiest time of the year and probably accounts for 20% of all our trade.

"It covers you for the start of the year when people are paying for Christmas or doing Dry January.”

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The idea for the message came from Mr Gate’s wife, Michelle, 38, who read about a similar protest down south.

Mr Gate, who lives in Hartlepool, also stresses that - unlike in the song itself – he doesn’t wish this Christmas to be Mr Johnson’s last.

"Just as Prime Minister,” he laughs.

"I hope he does have a bad Christmas though. But it won’t be as bad as ours.”

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