Pubs fearful as new virus rules kick in
British MPs have voted to approve new coronavirus restrictions in England, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces substantial opposition from within his Conservative Party over the measures’ economic impact.
England’s current four-week national lockdown ended yesterday, and Parliament needed to sign off on the replacement, a three-tier regional system based on the severity of the outbreak in different parts of the country.
Critics say the measures will devastate businesses, especially pubs, which face some of the tightest restrictions.
Johnson urged MPs to back the measures, saying the country must ‘‘hold our nerve’’ until vaccines are approved and distributed. But dozens of Conservatives abstained or voted against him as the new regulations were approved by a 291-78 vote in the House of Commons. The main opposition parties abstained.
Most of the country has been put into the upper two tiers, where shops, hairdressers, beauty salons and places of worship can reopen. But pubs and restaurants face strict limits in tier 2 and closure in the topmost tier 3.
Johnson told the House of Commons that a lockdown imposed on November 5 had succeeded in levelling off the coronavirus infection rate in England, but there was ‘‘a compelling necessity’’ for further restrictions.
‘‘What we cannot do is lift all of the restrictions at once, or move too quickly, in such a way that the virus would begin to spread rapidly again,’’ triggering a new lockdown in January, he said.
The new measures are to be reviewed every two weeks, and restrictions will be eased for five days over Christmas so that families can get together. Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland are following their own local restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.
Britain has had Europe’s deadliest Covid-19 outbreak, with more than 59,000 confirmed virus-related deaths.
But many Conservative MPs say the economic damage of the restrictions is increasingly outweighing the public health benefits. They say the government has not provided data to show the need for the restrictions, and is proposing a complicated and unfair system.
The humble Scotch egg has become a symbol of the discontent and confusion around the new rules.
Pubs in tier 2 areas can open and serve alcohol, but only alongside a ‘‘substantial meal’’. Ministers have given mixed messages about whether a Scotch egg fits the bill.
Cabinet Minister Michael Gove told ITV that ‘‘as far as I’m concerned, it’s probably a starter’’, but later said: ‘‘I do recognise that it is a substantial meal.’’
Critics say the Scotch egg debate – and related disputes about the status of sausage rolls, pork pies and pizza – shows that the measures are inconsistent and open to abuse.
In an attempt to assuage critics, Johnson says that pubs that have to stay closed will receive £1000 (NZ$1900) in recognition of ‘‘how hard they have been hit by this virus in what is typically their busiest month’’.
But Simon Emeny, chief executive of brewers Fuller, Smith and Turner, said this would not be enough to solve ‘‘the financial armageddon’’ many English pubs were facing.