Fife councillor defends tweet about gym visit in England

A Fife councillor has defended posting a picture on social media of him outside a gym in England while facilities north of the border remain closed.

Darren Watt, conservative councillor for Cowdenbeath, posted the selfie on Twitter outside a Bannatyne’s gym in Carlisle on Sunday.

He tweeted: “You can take our gyms, leisure centres and health clubs but you’ll never take our freedom!”

Some Twitter users accused Cllr. Watt of being “selfish” and not taking precautions amidst the pandemic – but the politician said it was taken while on a short break south of the border.

He said: “Having worked tirelessly from home since March, I decided to take this very rare opportunity to get away for a couple of days for much needed rest, recovery and relaxation but also to catch up on my backlog of emails and casework.”

He added: “I have been caring for, and home schooling, my children on top of my duties as a local councillor.  This has proven to be extremely challenging considering we’ve all been stuck under the one roof for some time.”

“I am visiting Carlisle as it is a beautiful and welcoming part of north west England and is easily accessible with many great local amenities and attractions nearby, including a Bannatyne’s Health Club which is literally a stone’s throw from the hotel I’m staying in.”

Gyms across Scotland remain closed due to lockdown restrictions, but facilities in England re-opened on July 25.

Frst Minister, Nicola Sturgeon,  gave September 14 as the date they  will be able to resume in Scotland.

She  said the proposed opening date for gyms and pools would be reviewed again in three weeks.

She said. “The clinical advice I have is that because of the nature of these environments, they pose a particular risk and require a cautious approach.”

Many gyms around Scotland are concerned they may have to permanently close their doors as a result of lockdown restrictions.

Duncan Bannatyne, former Dragon’s Den star, and owner of  11 gyms in Scotland has said he could be forced to close his premises in the country if no decision was made by the end of August.

Fife Sport & Leisure Trust, the charity which runs a network of facilities across the region, has also backed the #saveleisure campaign.

Emma Walker chief executive, said: “As a charitable trust, we hope that people will understand the huge impact that the lockdown has had on the organisation and we’d like to assure local communities we are committed to delivering accessible leisure opportunities.

“Our backing of the #saveleisure campaign demonstrates the severity of our position, and, as we manage and operate the leisure facilities on behalf of Fife Council, we are calling on it, MSPs, local councillors and other stakeholders, as well as the public, to lobby the Government for support to ensure that community leisure services have a long-term, sustainable future.”