In what has become a new unfortunate norm for government, ahead of the Prime Minister’s address to Parliament tomorrow, his announcement is preceded by speculation. That speculation creates more uncertainty, which stifles planning and preparation, causing even greater harm to hospitality businesses.
Late last night ‘news’ emerged, although no official government statement was issued, that an even tougher three tier system of local restrictions will come into force in England when the lockdown ends on 2 December, the ‘news’ was vaguely attributed as “Downing Street has said”.
The prime minister who is still isolating in Downing Street, is to chair a Sunday afternoon cabinet meeting today, a rare occurrence, seeking consensus for the measures he will be announcing.
The consensus sought is doubtless to try and avoid a Conservative revolt on new measures that would see hospitality and other parts of ‘normal life’ further restricted.
In a party letter to the prime minister 70 Conservative MPs have indicated they would not back the new levels of restrictions without access to a cost-benefit analysis.
The 70 Conservative MPs are part of a newly formed Covid Recovery Group created as a forum of opinions resisting what they see as stringent constraints on business.
The letter from the Covid Recovery Group stated: “We cannot support this approach further unless the government demonstrates the restrictions proposed for after 2 December will have an impact on slowing the transmission of Covid, and will save more lives than they cost.
“To this end, government must publish a full cost-benefit analysis of the proposed restrictions on a regional basis so that MPs can assess responsibly the non-Covid health impact of restrictions, as well as the undoubted impact on livelihoods.”
While all this is going on, and of course it is necessary to do so, hospitality businesses are left without any clarity whatsoever in if and how they can trade.
The myriad of adjusted and ‘tougher’ tiered options alongside the regional variations of tier levels to be imposed will leave most businesses utterly perplexed.
Today sets a clock in motion, there are only 10 days in which to understand what the new legislation will allow, to plan and prepare to reopen a business.
Dear Prime Minister, Why has this been left to the eleventh hour, again, with no flight plan or destination the mission is doomed to failure.
Nicholls writes to Sunak: Please invest in the “survival and revival” of hospitality
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Hospitality & Catering News: Hospitality’s T Minus 10 and counting to destination unknown – 22 November 2020 – Hospitality’s T Minus 10 and counting to destination unknown.
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