Search icon

Football

17th Dec 2020

Gary Neville calls Tory government the ‘biggest set of charlatans to ever be elected’

Former Manchester United right-back Gary Neville has referred to the Tory government as the 'biggest set of charlatans to ever be elected'

Alex Roberts

Tell us what you really think, Gary

Gary Neville has labelled the Tory government the ‘biggest set of charlatans to ever be elected’.

The former Manchester United captain is renowned for his acerbic footballing analysis, but on this evidence his political commentary seems no different.

On the day it was announced that Manchester would remain in Tier 3 – the strictest level of coronavirus lockdown – Neville launched a scathing critique of Boris and co.

Sky Sports pundit Neville said: “They released 5 key criteria 2 weeks ago to measure Tiers by. Manchester is lower than many T2 areas were 2 weeks ago. Today the government ignored their own criteria. The biggest set of charlatans to be ever elected.”

This isn’t the first time Gary Neville has criticised the current government.

Just two weeks ago, Neville told Sky News that the government is “out of depth”. However, he also used the occasion to take a jab at Keir Starmer and Labour, whom he referred to as “sitting in the stands”.

“When you’re elected and you’re in that seat in Westminster, you take a position – you don’t abstain.

“You take part in the match. You’re the opposition, you’re the opposition, don’t sit in the stand.”

Neville’s thoughts on the new tier system were echoed by political leaders in the Greater Manchester area.

In a message also posted on Twitter, Sir Richard Leese, the leader of Manchester council said: “Even though our numbers are better than either London or Liverpool’s were three weeks ago, still in Tier 3. Unbelievable!”

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said he was “disappointed and frustrated” with the decision to keep Manchester in Tier 3.

Burnham said: “One thing is we haven’t been singled out. Nowhere in the north is changing.

“But when it was the other way round, only the north got restrictions. Now London and South East has rises, the whole country has restrictions. It doesn’t feel even-handed.”