LBC presenter Nick Ferrari sparked outrage from This Morning viewers on Wednesday as he made a 'prosecco' comment about nurses during lockdown. He was speaking on the latest revelations in the Downing Street party investigation, after it emerged Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak were to be issued with Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN).
Both the Prime Minister and Chancellor Rishi Sunak have been hit with criminal sanctions. They were issued with the FPNs for attending a gathering in the Cabinet Room to mark the Prime Minister’s 56th birthday on June 19, 2020. The pair apologised on Tuesday and confirmed they had paid the fines imposed by the Metropolitan Police. But they resisted calls for their resignations – insisting they were keen to now get on with the job.
As This Morning were discussing the latest headlines on Wednesday morning's show, attention turned to the 'partygate' saga. Associate Editor of the Daily Telegraph Camilla Tominey told presenters Josie and Vernon: "Because the rest of the country was saying, we can't get together, we can't socialise, we can't go to the pub, we can't do this. We can't do that. Why in God's name, frankly, did anyone in Downing Street think it was a good idea to have the word party associated with any event at all?"
"We all knew the difference. You know, people were going to work. I was going into the newsroom, but that was a work environment. Nobody was saying, Oh, when we clock up for five, let's all go onto the roof and start drinking beers."
And Nick Ferrari responded to that point on the show. He said: "There are 300 plus people for whom Downing Street is their office. It's not their home. So much as I am sure in hospitals - and God knows the nurses deserved it - did they occasionally have a slice of cake and possibly a glass of prosecco or in the care homes or in factories, if they were able to work or buildings? I think they probably did.
"If it stays with 9 minutes, he walks in and they don't even get the cake out of the box. I do think as it is a place of work, that is an argument he can hang his hat on."
But This Morning viewers took issue with Nick's comments about prosecco. Amy wrote: "Nick Ferrari there saying most care workers, nurses and doctors would have been eating cake and drinking Prosecco at work anyway is absolutely disgusting! What planet is he on? F*** off!"
Hannah Watson added: @NickFerrariLBC you can’t honestly be serious!? You honestly believe nurses had ‘a glass a Prosecco & a slice of cake’ during their shift!? We work 12+ hours with no staff, missed breaks, no toilet breaks & high end stress. What an insult to suggest we had Prosecco! #ThisMorning"
And Caro27 shared: "@NickFerrariLBC Did Nick just double down on Fabricant’s claim that nurses were enjoying Prosecco at work?? Why is the prime minister being defended by dragging hardworking law abiding people into it? #ThisMorning"
Zahida also wrote: "No Nick, we did not eat cake or have a glass of Prosecco in the NHS whilst doing a 12.5 hour shift or even after the shift! In fact most of us just wanted to go home, utterly exhausted !#ThisMorning"
And Kerry wrote: "#ThisMorning I can 100% assure you that nurses were not having a slice of cake & glass of Prosecco with their colleagues, in the work place after their 12+hr shift during pandemic!!!!!!!!! Unable to drink water, during shift due to PPE, let alone party!!!!!!"
The comments come after Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant told BBC News yesterday afternoon (Tuesday): “I don’t think at any time he thought he was breaking the law… he thought just like many teachers and nurses who after a very long shift would go back to the staff room and have a quiet drink.”
Those comments sparked anger from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Writing to him, Pat Cullen, general secretary of the RCN, said: “We remain at the forefront of pandemic response. Despite political narrative, as health and care professionals we know the Covid-19 context is nowhere near over. While you position yourself with some authority as to the behaviour and actions of nurses during the pandemic, I’d like to inform you of the following facts.
“Throughout the pandemic – and still certainly, now – most days, nurses and nursing support workers, when finally finishing a number of unpaid hours well past shift end, will get home, clean their uniforms, shower and collapse into bed.
“Throughout the early pandemic, this was often alone, for the protection of others – kept away from family, friends and support networks. These shifts – in communities, in hospitals, anywhere people are – are long, unrelenting, understaffed and intense.
“At the end of one of the many hours, days and years we have worked, since recognition of the pandemic, I can assure you that none of us have sought to hang out and ‘have a quiet one in the staff room.’ There isn’t a site in England that would allow alcohol on the premises for any professional to consume during working hours.
“As frontline professionals, still dealing with the implications of the pandemic – understaffed, underpaid, overworked, exhausted, burnt out and still holding it together while doing the best we can for our patients. It is utterly demoralising – and factually incorrect – to hear you suggest that our diligent, safety critical profession can reasonably be compared to any elected official breaking the law, at any time.”
