Why can you have a driving lesson but not go to the gym, Nick Ferrari asks Business Secretary

1 July 2020, 08:38 | Updated: 1 July 2020, 09:24

Nick Ferrari asks Business Secretary why gyms aren't re-opening

By Adrian Sherling

Nick Ferrari asked the Business Secretary why you can have a driving lesson from Saturday, but still can't go to the gym.

Driving lessons are re-starting from Saturday, despite the fact you have to sit in a car with a driving instructor.

But gyms, swimming pools and indoor leisure centres are still remaining shut.

Nick Ferrari asked Alok Sharma how the government came to that peculiar decision.

Nick Ferrari spoke to Alok Sharma ahead of the lockdown easing
Nick Ferrari spoke to Alok Sharma ahead of the lockdown easing. Picture: LBC

Nick said: "How come on Saturday, I can go to a pub or a hamburger bar, but I can't go to the gym?"

Mr Sharma insisted: "What we've done is to open up the economy in a phased and cautious manner and obviously some of the businesses that are not currently open are much more close contact."

But Nick told him: "There's nothing much more close contact than a driving instructor. I can have a driving lesson, but I can't go to the gym.

"There's nothing more close contact that a driving instructor who has to grab the wheel to make sure I don't go into the back of a bus.

"They can work, but nail salons can't, gyms can't. How do you explain that?"

Mr Sharma responded: "As Business Secretary, I would love the whole economy to be up and running and powering forward.

"But we all recognise - and businesses recognise - there is a reason we're doing this in a phased and cautious manner."

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