This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jul/04/stanley-johnson-says-greece-visit-is-essential-to-covid-proof-villa
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Stanley Johnson says Greece visit is essential to 'Covid-proof' villa | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Boris Johnson has refused to criticise his father over trip to holiday home during lockdown | |
| The UK prime minister’s father, Stanley Johnson, has defended travelling to his villa in Greece amid growing condemnation by saying that he was making the property “Covid-proof”. | |
| Government guidelines state that British nationals should avoid all but essential travel, but his son Boris has refused to criticise the trip and, on Friday, suggested the media should raise the issue directly with his father. | |
| Johnson senior, 79, posted a picture on social media of himself apparently arriving at Athens airport wearing a mask earlier this week. He told reporters that he was visiting on “essential business” before the letting season. | Johnson senior, 79, posted a picture on social media of himself apparently arriving at Athens airport wearing a mask earlier this week. He told reporters that he was visiting on “essential business” before the letting season. |
| However, there are no rules in Greece compelling landlords to “Covid-proof” homes for letting. He rents the property for £2,100 a week during peak season. | However, there are no rules in Greece compelling landlords to “Covid-proof” homes for letting. He rents the property for £2,100 a week during peak season. |
| “I’m not going to say whether my actions are correct or not – in any case, what happened, happened,” he told reporters who tracked him down to his mountain villa in Pelion overlooking the Aegean sea. | |
| Interviewed by Greek media outside the villa on Saturday, Johnson senior said: “I don’t know what the reaction of the British public [is]. I’ve been, you know, not particularly … I came here to have a quiet time, to organise the house, so I’m not 100% up to speed.” | Interviewed by Greek media outside the villa on Saturday, Johnson senior said: “I don’t know what the reaction of the British public [is]. I’ve been, you know, not particularly … I came here to have a quiet time, to organise the house, so I’m not 100% up to speed.” |
| He said he intended to return to the UK on 10 July. “People are longing to get here. So, I’ve just got one week to get everything organised. And this is a country which has everything. But here I am, how could you be here and not look around at this fantastic place? | |
| “I’ve got a whole load of instructions about how to make the place Covid-proof.” | |
| Asked about the photo he posted to social media, he claimed: “I didn’t put them up in a spirit of defiance or anything like that.” | Asked about the photo he posted to social media, he claimed: “I didn’t put them up in a spirit of defiance or anything like that.” |
| Johnson senior flew to Athens via Sofia, Bulgaria, seemingly to circumvent Greek government rules against direct flight from the UK to the country, which has been praised for its handling of the pandemic – with deaths in the low three figures. | Johnson senior flew to Athens via Sofia, Bulgaria, seemingly to circumvent Greek government rules against direct flight from the UK to the country, which has been praised for its handling of the pandemic – with deaths in the low three figures. |
| On Thursday evening, he was photographed sitting alone in his favourite seaside restaurant with a bottle of red wine, as criticism grew that his actions could further undermine the public’s trust in government guidelines. | On Thursday evening, he was photographed sitting alone in his favourite seaside restaurant with a bottle of red wine, as criticism grew that his actions could further undermine the public’s trust in government guidelines. |
| The former MEP had long planned to travel to Greece, telling one Greek journalist in May that he had already booked his air ticket. “I’m very worried that we may not be able to [go] this summer,” he told the Greek daily Ta Nea. | The former MEP had long planned to travel to Greece, telling one Greek journalist in May that he had already booked his air ticket. “I’m very worried that we may not be able to [go] this summer,” he told the Greek daily Ta Nea. |
| “We are in this country in lockdown and even if we can leave Britain it’s not clear to me that we would yet be welcome in Greece … of course I’d love to be there, even if I had to go and self-isolate in my house I’d do that.” | “We are in this country in lockdown and even if we can leave Britain it’s not clear to me that we would yet be welcome in Greece … of course I’d love to be there, even if I had to go and self-isolate in my house I’d do that.” |
| The British prime minister, Boris Johnson, is likely to face further questions after his own father refused to refute whether he had acted improperly flouting UK travel advice to visit his villa in Greece. | |
| At the centre of the commotion since his arrival in the country – via Bulgaria – on Wednesday, Stanley Johnson was asked, directly, whether he regretted the decision. | |
| The 79-year-old, who was caught on camera with a towel thrown over his left shoulder after clearly having been for a swim, said it was vital that an air bridge was created “as quick as we can” to facilitate travel between the two nations. “How wonderful it would be, if quite quickly, the two governments could come to some arrangement.” | |
| The high incidence of coronavirus cases in Britain spurred Athens earlier this week to announce it would extend the suspension of direct flights from the UK until July 15th. Those bent on getting to Greece are currently forced to come via third countries but it is not encouraged. The British government has urged citizens against all but essential travel. | |
| Explaining his trip earlier as “essential business” Johnson senior said his visit had been motivated by the need to “Covid-proof my property in view of the upcoming letting season.” | |
| The former euro MP, who now supports his son’s Brexit policies, has long rented out the two-story Villa Irene to UK holidaymakers in what has become a nice little earner for his family as we explain our story today. |