Piers Morgan asks why restrictions should be lifted for Christmas when other religious holidays weren’t saved

Piers Morgan has questioned why Covid-19 restrictions should be lifted for Christmas when the same was not done for other religious festivals that have fallen during the pandemic.

The Good Morning Britain host exclaimed the ‘entire health of the nation’ should not rest on whether we can ‘gorge together on turkey for a couple of days’ over the Christmas period.

He spoke on Wednesday morning’s edition of the ITV breakfast show insisting that we should ‘all be in this together or not’. 

Piers was reacting to the news that the government is considering allowing ‘five days of indoor household mixing‘ so families in the UK can ‘celebrate’ Christmas without breaking the law. 

However, last weekend saw the cancellation of almost all normal festivities to celebrate Diwali. Instead, it was celebrated virtually via video streams.

Speaking to the BBC about Diwali, Rishi Sunak – himself a practicing Hindu – said: “For us as Hindus, Diwali is special, and it’s going to be difficult this year.”

He added: “But we’ve got Zoom, we’ve got the phone, and most importantly, we’ve got each other. Whether you can see someone or not the bond of family, that bond of love is always going to be there.”

Before explaining that ‘happy times’ will follow afterwards, and ‘to keep everyone safe right now, just follow the rules’.

In July, last-minute lockdown rules were put in place to ban the mixing of separate households in Northern England to help combat a spike in Covid-19 at the time. The news fell two hours before Eid celebrations began. 

Speaking at the time to the BBC, Qari Asim, a senior Imam in Leeds, urged people to stay safe before explaining that: “BAME communities have been disproportionately affected during Covid-19 and therefore we need to take extra precautionary measures.

“There has been a sense of deflation and disappointment as restrictions have been placed on Hajj for the first time in such a manner. But we are not alone. Other faith communities have had to make sacrifices. We hope these spiritual sacrifices will enable us all to defeat Covid-19 together.”

At the time, Matt Hancock denied that the new restrictions were aimed at curtailing Eid celebrations.

Nevertheless, Piers Morgan pointed out on GMB this morning: “Why should Christians get it easier?

“Seriously, why should we? Why should we be the ones that have to have our festival saved when we didn’t do that for other religious festivals in the last few weeks?”

Morgan added: “We’re all in this together, or we’re not.

“I don’t think the entire health of the nation should rest on whether we can gorge together on turkey for a couple of days. Because personally, I think we have to be slightly selfless about this.”

Prime minister Boris Johnson’s spokesperson said: “We are looking at ways to ensure that people can spend time with close family over Christmas at the end of what there’s been an incredibly difficult year.”