Coronavirus: Millionaire mayor says he is right to keep parks closed

Wealthy mayor of Middlesbrough ‘enjoys the vast acres of a stately home’ while families remain couped up at home, Labour MP complains

A millionaire mayor who lives in a stately home has defied criticism from local MPs for refusing to reopen the parks in his poverty-stricken town.

Andy Preston, the independent mayor in Middlesbrough, said keeping parks closed is necessary to protect lives since the area remains one of the most vulnerable to coronavirus in the country.

He said the north-east town still had plenty of other “open spaces” where people could walk, run and cycle while parks were shut.

“It is the case that when we had the parks open, we saw lots of behaviour that was risky, so closing the parks temporarily is a very small sacrifice that is worth paying,” said Mr Preston.

Andy McDonald, the Labour MP for Middlesbrough, said the mayor was living in “cloud cuckoo land” if he thought people had access to open space — and suggested Mr Preston’s wealth made him unable to understand the frustration of families living in cramped conditions.

Mr Preston, who ran a hedge fund and a charity before he was elected in 2019, owns a grade-II listed mansion with extensive grounds near Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

Noting that the mayor “enjoys the vast acres of a stately home”, the Labour MP told The Guardian: “I think a number of our parks could fit within [those grounds]. He can enjoy that, but people living in small terraced houses, they can’t get their lungs breathing in a pleasant environment.”

There is cross-party support for reopening the town’s public parks. Local government minister Simon Clarke, Tory MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, has written to all councils urging them to keep them open.

He said in a letter last month: “The ability to step outside, take exercise and enjoy fresh air is important for so many of us at this difficult time. For many people, especially families with children and those who live in homes without a garden, access to public parks is a lifeline.”

But Mr Preston insisted it was right to keep the three main public parks in Middlesbrough closed, citing a think tank report suggesting Middlesbrough is among the “riskiest” places in the country for coronavirus.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “Our problems are bigger, our mortality rates will end up even higher due to a range of issues, and we need to take more drastic action to look after people, protect lives and also save jobs.”

When he was asked about Mr McDonald’s remarks suggesting the size of his garden meant he did not understand the importance of access to open space, Mr Preston replied: “I have got to look at the facts and work with people and take tough decisions, whether they are popular or not, to protect people.

“Don’t listen to Andy McDonald, he will say whatever he can to undermine me and get power for his buddies.”

Opposition MPs, charities and green space campaigners all urged the government to keep parks open after health secretary Matt Hancock last month suggested that all outdoor exercise could be banned if people continue to break lockdown rules.

Green MP Caroline Lucas backed a campaign to open up private golf courses, closed during the lockdown, for walking, running and cycling.