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Johnson let Hancock announce the new restrictions. The prime minister faces another politically difficult decision in the coming days on a post-Brexit trade deal. On Monday, negotiators from Britain and the European Union resumed talks in Brussels, amid some tentative signs of progress.
If Johnson reaches a deal, he could face pushback from his party’s pro-Brexit lawmakers, who see the negotiations as an assertion of British sovereignty. That would add to a relentless wave of pressure the prime minister has faced as he has balanced economic and public health priorities during the pandemic.
Johnson won the support of the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. But Mr. Khan asked the government to consider closing some schools for 10-19 year olds earlier and reopening them later than planned in January. He also demanded more financial compensation for affected companies and more help for those who need to isolate themselves.
But conservative lawmakers were less supportive. Iain Duncan Smith, a former Conservative Party leader, said the decision would “hit” pubs and restaurants, which have social distancing controls, and could encourage people to socialize in their homes in less safe conditions.
Another Conservative lawmaker, Bob Neill, said the measures would have a “chilling effect” on hospitality. His colleague, Felicity Buchan, asked why the capital could not be divided into different regions to protect business in central London, which she called “the powerhouse of our national economy.”
The hospitality trade, unsurprisingly, reacted with fury, arguing that the spread of cases was being driven primarily by infections in schools and that forced closures would devastate companies that had invested heavily to protect themselves from socially estranged gatherings.
“There is no getting around the fact that moving London and other areas to Level 3 the week before Christmas will further cripple the pub sector, which is already on its knees and impact the livelihoods of our team members. and tenants, “Nick Mackenzie, said the CEO of Greene King, a great pub and brewery.
