Night-life at risk of being killed off by lengthy restrictions
Scotland's night-life is at risk of dying out unless concert venues and nigtclubs are given the green light to open their doors before the end of this year, industry leaders have warned.
Operators have pleaded for a “sea change” in the Scottish Government’s approach after recent warnings restrictions will likely to have to remain in place long after the vaccine roll-out has been completed this year.
Theywanttoresumenormalityfortheeventsandnightclubbing sectors within months by reopening venues without social distancing.
Buttheyhaveraisedfearstheir industry is about to be sacrificed in the face of constant warnings from public health experts which they say have left the government “petrified of risk.”
Last week the governmentsaidtherewouldbeaneed for Scots to live with restrictions for “some considerable time” after the vaccine programme is completed.
National clinical director Jason Leitch said: “This is not about Scotland being vaccinated. It's about the world being vaccinated.”
However Donald Macleod, one of Glasgow’s leading music promoters and venue owners, said it was essential to restore confidence to businesses involved in the nighttime economy instead of leaving the industry on the brink of “destruction.”
He said: “Are we going to live in fear of the virus for all-time?’
“My worry is that they decide we’re industry that can be scrapped. We've not been givenanyhopetothinkotherwise. “Why should we have social distancing if there is no threat andwe’veprotectedtheelderly,
themostvulnerableandat-risk groups?
"That’s not going to happen at the moment, but it should happen in the summer. It would be murdertokeepuslockeddown.
"I don't think it'll happen until there is a sea change within the government so that we are not being run by health advisers. They need to get off their soap boxes.”
Ewan Mcnaught, director of the Voodoo Rooms, which hosts both live music and clubbing events, said recent messages from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her deputy John Swinney had been “soul destroying.”
He added: “Vaccine approval and rollout should have been a source of hope, but thegovernment is so in thrall to the zero Covid fantasy, so petrified of risk from the new variants, and so entrenched in negative messaging that they’ve completely
extinguished that optimism.
"They’ve boxed themselves into a corner, crippled by caution, and are now completely incapable of offering any hope whatsoever to the business community.
"Continuing with these restrictions once furlough finishes, and other forms of government support dry up, will be the end. All these jobs and businesses that have been on life-support will have the plug pulled on them. That’s the cost of pursuing a ‘safety first’ strategy of extending restrictions after the vaccine roll-out.”
Nickstewart,scottishcoordinator of the Music Venues Alliance, which represents grassrootsvenues,said:“i’mlessconcerned with exactly predicting dates of when venues can be open. Too many factors can change those dates.”