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Billions on new bailout ++ Budget cancelled ++ Firms warn of wipeout ++ 200,000 lonely Scots ‘cut off’ by visit ban ++ As row grows over covid crackdown...
THE true cost of the latest coronavirus clampdown was dramatically laid bare last night.
Business chiefs and hospitality groups issued a string of dire warnings over the impact of the restrictions – saying that millions of jobs are on the line.
Some suggested the ‘work from home’ edict could spark the end for the high street and struggling town centres.
In an impassioned intervention, one of Britain’s most prominent tycoons even branded the six-month timeline for the new curbs as ‘criminal’. Julian Metcalfe, the founder of Itsu and Pret A Manger, added the restrictions threatened economic devastation.
Last night, Chancellor Rishi Sunak was preparing to unveil another multi-billion-pound business support scheme with an emergency ‘Winter Economy Plan’ to try to protect jobs.
But in a sign of Britain’s precarious position, he cancelled plans for a full-scale Budget in November, with sources accepting the country could no longer make long-term plans.
Mr Metcalfe warned: ‘The repercussions of these six months are going to be devastating to so many people, to local councils, to industry, to people all over our country. We have just not begun to touch the seriousness of this.’
Meanwhile, campaigners claimed that the ban on visiting other people’s homes could see up to 200,000 pensioners ‘cut off’ from contact with other people.
They fear this could spark an epidemic of
loneliness. Amid a growing row over the approach to tackling the Covid crisis:
Hospitality groups warned pubs and restaurants could go bust within months;
The travel industry faced a crisis as it said up to 30,000 jobs are on the line;
The owner of Upper Crust and Caffe Ritazza said it had kept two-thirds of its restaurants shut because of a fall in the number of commuters;
Scotland recorded 486 more virus cases, its highest daily rise. Across the UK the figure topped 6,000.
Leading a furious backlash against the Covid curbs yesterday, Mr Metcalfe tore into Number 10 for its ‘nonsensical’ approach.
On BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme, he said he did not know whether Itsu would survive the new measures.
‘People who work in hotels, restaurants, takeaways and in coffee shops are devastated,’ he said. ‘A great many are closing down – we’re losing thousands upon thousands of jobs.
‘How long can this continue, this vague “work from home”, “don’t go on public transport”? The ramifications of this are just enormous.
‘I hate to think how many people will be made redundant – it’s just heartrocketed breaking. It’s hundreds of thousands of hospitality businesses.
‘To turn to an entire nation and say “stay at home for six months” and to spout off some Churchillian nonsense about we’ll make it through – it’s terribly unhelpful to this country. This talk of six months is criminal.’
Tory MP for New Forest West Sir Desmond Swayne said: ‘I am concerned the cure could be worse than the disease… We are trashing our economy.’
Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin said: ‘The main problem with the 10pm curfew is that it’s another random and arbitrary move… which lacks logic or scientific credibility.
‘It’s part of their “don’t just stand there, do something” approach.’
Meanwhile, the Scottish Government was yesterday warned hundreds of thousands of OAPs could face months of loneliness.
Ministers were urged to ensure they introduce further support for people who cannot form ‘extended households’ with one other family or individual. Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said he felt ‘sorry’ for those in areas with low numbers of cases and argued a household visit ban would have worked better if introduced only as part of targeted action in areas with local lockdowns.
Charity Age Scotland estimates that up to 200,000 pensioners who do not have weekly contact with family and friends may be unable to form ‘extended households’ with other families, meaning they could be cut off from others for months.
Its chief executive, Brian Sloan, said: ‘Loneliness was a public health crisis before this pandemic and levels have skysince.’ A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We understand that these new restrictions will make it hard for people missing friends and family, and put many older people at an increased risk of social isolation and loneliness.
‘As Age Scotland say, single households are able to make extended households and we would encourage people to take that route if suitable.
‘We awarded funding to organisations taking direct action to reduce social isolation and loneliness, including through helplines and befriending programmes.’