Police break up illegal lockdown party at house of Tory MP who just came out as LGBT+
Tory MP for Delyn, Rob Roberts. (Parliament)
Police were called to the house of Conservative MP Rob Roberts to disperse an illegal lockdown birthday party on bank holiday Monday.
Roberts, the MP for Delyn in North Wales, made headlines last week as he opened up about his sexuality on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
He did so in a Twitter thread that was a passionate call to arms to battle LGBT+ hate in the UK, “so that we can be free to be ourselves without anxiety or fear”.
“There. I may have alluded to it before, but never said it. I’m no longer afraid to be who I am,” he concluded.
“On this day, it feels particularly poignant and a good time to say it. As a society of people we must do better. As a member of the world community, we must do better.”
His message drew support from all sides of politics, but this could rapidly dissipate as his household now faces criticism for breaching COVID-19 regulations.
The Mirror revealed that there were balloons and banners displayed outside Roberts’ house in Wales to celebrate his wife’s 40th birthday.
The couple separated six weeks ago when Roberts came out, and he is understood to have been spending the bank holiday in London.
North Wales police confirmed that two people who were visiting the family home were asked to leave.
Superintendent Mark Pierce of North Wales Police told the paper: “In response to two reports of a possible breach of COVID-19 regulations we visited an address at Ty’n y Coed, Mold, yesterday (Monday).
“When we called at the property two people visiting the house left following advice and no further action was taken.”
As is the case in England, Welsh lockdown rules do not permit visits to another home.
The matter was called into question over the weekend as Boris Johnson’s top aide, Dominic Cummings, admitted to repeatedly flouting the very same rules he helped to implement.
Rob Roberts was vocal about the scandal on Facebook, writing in a post: “Of course it is right that we cannot have one rule for one and another for the rest …
“If Mr Cummings has acted inappropriately according to an investigation, then he should go. If an investigation concludes that he hasn’t, then he shouldn’t. The media doesn’t get to call the shots on who is hired and fired.”
