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Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin lashed out at the “ever-changing series of ill-thought-out coronavirus regulations” as the bar chain sank to a loss of £ 105.4 million.
His renewed criticism came as the company’s delayed results also revealed that sales fell 30% from £ 1.82 billion to £ 1.26 billion in the year to July 26.
Attacking the government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis, Mr Martin argued that the UK should take the Swedish approach to allow its pubs to reopen properly.
The firm’s president noted that comparable sales in the 11 weeks since July 26 have been 15% below last year, with strong sales in the first weeks, followed by a marked slowdown since the introduction of a curfew and other restrictions.
Your comments came later Marston’s warned that 2,150 jobs are at risk after the government tightened coronavirus restrictions.
Meanwhile, a hospitality manager has said 250,000 jobs are threatened in London of the additional restrictions that are imposed in the capital from this weekend.
Martin said: “During the two months following the reopening, it seemed that the hospitality industry, in difficult circumstances, was adjusting to the new regime and was ‘recovering’, albeit in survival mode.
But he added: “It appears that the government and its advisers were clearly uncomfortable when the country emerged from the blockade.
“They have introduced, without consultation, under emergency powers, an ever-changing series of ill-thought-out regulations that are extraordinarily difficult for the public and publicans to understand and implement.
“None of the new regulations seem to have an obvious scientific basis.
“For example, a requirement was introduced for table service, which is expensive to implement and undermines the essential nature of pubs for many people. Pubs have now become restaurants. Customers can go to the checkout in a store but not in a pub, which is, in any sense, “scientific”.
“Also, face coverings, whose health benefits are debatable, do not need to be worn sitting down, but must be used to go to the bathroom, another fickle regulation.
Martin argued that the “most damaging regulation” was the 10 pm curfew, which he said had “few supporters outside the narrow cloisters” of Downing Street and its meetings of scientific advisers.
He said: “This has meant that many thousands of hospitality industry employees, who strive to maintain standards of hygiene and social distancing, leave the service at 10 at night, leaving people to socialize in homes and in private events that, in reality, are impossible to regulate. ” .
“In stark contrast to the consistency of the comparatively successful Swedish approach, which emphasizes social distancing, hygiene and trust in people, the erratic UK government is jumping from one pillar to another and adjusting and modifying regulations, for so we are now in near lockdown that is producing visibly worse results than Sweden, both in terms of health and the economy. “