Gary Neville has said he is "so sorry" as he prepares to face a driving ban for speeding.
The former Manchester United captain decided to open up about his offence after reading comparisons between speeding and the Partygate scandal which saw a fines issued. Boris Johnson became the first sitting prime minister to be fined for breaking the law, while chancellor Rishi Sunak also faced consequences.
Neville, who also won 85 England caps during his playing career, said he is due to be banned from driving in the "coming days/weeks". The 47-year-old, who has previously called on Johnson to resign, demonstrated his own remorse for his actions while saying those in power should have no excuses for breaking the law themselves.
There have been suggestions more fines might follow for those in government, after apologies were issued in relation to a birthday party for the Prime Minister in June 2020 while the country was in lockdown. However, the comparisons to speeding in a statement from an ally of Johnson's didn't go down well with Neville.
“If you’re caught speeding at 35mph four times, that doesn’t mean that you were speeding at 140mph," the ally told The i. "It doesn’t mean that you really endangered life because the cumulative effect of all your speeding in 30mph zones amounts to 140pmh, does it?”
"I can relate to this," Neville replied on Twitter. "Was recently caught speeding, around 35-40. For first time in 30 years, I’m now over 12 points.
"So I am banned. Because that is the law. And when you break the law it means no excuses, no gaslighting, no lies! Speed kills and I’m so sorry!"
What did you make of Neville's response? Have your say in the comments section
When asked by a follower is he is really banned from driving, Neville confirmed he expects his punishment to start soon, replying: "I will be yes. Coming days / weeks."
"Thank you for recognising your mistake," one reply read. "Too often it’s normalised when, in reality, it can have devastating consequences."
"I grow to love you more and more each day," another said. "And I so did not when you were an excellent footy player. As do many of my fellow LFC fans."
Neville's comments come at a time when Members of Parliament have been calling for further sanctions for the Prime Minister. Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer, for example, said "Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. They must both resign."
"The police have now completely shredded Boris Johnson’s claims that no laws were broken in No 10," was the verdict of Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats.. He cannot be trusted and cannot continue as Prime Minister. No other leader in any other organisation would be allowed to continue after law-breaking on this scale."
Neville has long been a vocal critic of the government, speaking out about previous actions from Johnson and others. This came to a head in December 2021 after The Mirror broke the news of Johnson and his aides breaking the law with a Christmas party the previous year.
"We’ve seen it for the last two years," Neville said. "This guy lacks integrity. He lies to us constantly. The mistruths that come out of number 10 are just constant."
