By Eric King-
Birmingham MP Tahir Ali was reported to police for joining a huge funeral prayer gathering in defiance of lockdown restrictions, The Eye Of Media.Com has heard.
The Labour MP, who represents Hall Green was among a gathering of mourners – understood to have briefly numbered up to 100 – who met at the gates of Sutton New Hall Cemetery (Wednesday April 2) in Sutton Coldfield.
Mandy Price 32 from Birmingham told The Eye Of Media.Com:
”The Mp is setting bad examples to the people. Everyone has been staying at home and trying to stick to the guidelines, but you have an MP who thinks he is too big to abide by the rules. His claims to need to observe the ceremonies are rubbish because he doesn’t have to be there. He is just being defiant”.
Lisa Atkinson, 26 from Birmingham said: ”I think it is shameful that an Mp who sits in Parliament where laws are made, would break the rules like this and still arrogantly say he plans to continue to break such rules. It is very bad”. However Asif Patel told The Eye Of Media.Com: ”It is silly to be so strict about this social distancing rules.
The Mp is just trying to identify with mourners and make sure everything goes right. if he wants to take the risk of catching the coronavirus, that’s down to him. His presence at the funeral was not for the sake it, it was essential. I don’t think he has done anything wrong”.
VIOLATIONS
Ali had attended two funerals that day, violating government guidelines in terms of numbers present. There were an estimated 20 mourners at a ceremony in Sandwell. The Mp has been calling for a relaxation in funeral rules to help distressed families.The British government has banned all gatherings including weddings, baptisms, places of worship, schools, but excluding funerals. An upper limit of six people was made for funerals.
Mr Ali, who is also still a city councillor representing Nechells, said he also intended to attend funerals in Walsall, Dudley and Wolverhampton in the coming days to conduct more observations.