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Pressure is mounting on the Boris Johnson government to revise the new 10 p.m. curfew in pubs, bars and restaurants after drinkers filled the streets across the country at closing time.
Ministers have been urged to reverse course from the “chaotic” and “ill-thought-out” restriction introduced on Thursday in response to rising coronavirus infections.
Crowds have been seen gathering each night in English cities after the curfew came into effect, with long lines formed for public transport and no licenses, as many drinkers continued their night at each other’s homes after that the pubs closed.
As criticism rained down from sick city nightlife and hospitality officials, as well as some Conservative MPs, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden insisted that there was “definitely science” behind the curfew, a despite a scientist warning the government saying it “had never heard” of the measure discussed at the Sage meetings.
Sacha Lord, Greater Manchester’s night economy adviser, said: “It is very clear, across the UK, that this ill-thought-out 10pm curfew has pushed everyone out of places with socially distanced measures, the streets, to -licenses, supermarkets, crowded public transport and parties at home.
“All the operators predicted this. Shambolic “.
Industry experts participated in government discussions before the curfew was imposed, said British Beer and Pub Association Executive Director Emma McClarkin.
“The curfew has been another devastating blow to the beer and bar industry. We have invested millions in creating safe socializing environments and little by little we have been regaining the trust of our customers and rebuilding our business ”, he said.
“Having not been consulted by the government about last week’s announcements, we are ready to work with the government to find the safest and most practical ways to address the coronavirus while keeping our companies and the hundreds of others alive at the same time. thousands of jobs they provide. “
Ms. McClarkin added: “As we have seen this weekend, the harsh 10pm curfew has resulted in customers leaving venues and filling the streets in droves. We would like to see the tough 10pm revised to allow us flexibility in closing doors and allow customers to stagger their outings. “
In Wales, the sale of alcohol is prohibited after 10pm, but customers have an additional 20 minutes to finish their drinks after the last orders.
Shadow justice secretary David Lammy also criticized the curfew for leading to a “situation where people leave pubs, wander around cities and potentially spread the virus.”
And Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood said closing time at 10 pm “doesn’t make sense,” as he pointed to government figures suggesting that only five percent of coronavirus outbreaks are hospitality-related.
Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr on Sunday morning, hours after crowds filled the streets in Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool and countless other towns and cities in England, Dowden tried to defend the new rule.
“There is definitely science behind this, that is why we are demanding that people sit in pubs and restaurants, to stop the flow of them to and from the bar,” said the secretary of culture.
“We are reducing closing times to prevent people from staying up late and drinking. And the point of all this is that everyone has their part to play. If we all follow the rules, we can make sure there are no more draconian restrictions. “
Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson described the scenes in his city as “shocking but predictable” and warned that the curfew is “making things more dangerous.”
Additional PA reports
