Cabinet row over closure of hair salons and leisure centres

CABINET ministers are at odds over whether to close hairdressers and leisure venues under a new three-tier traffic light system approach to local lockdowns due to be unveiled by Boris Johnson within days.

Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle are among cities expected to be placed in the so-called “red zone”, with Sheffield and Nottingham also at risk.

According to insiders, Matt Hancock and health officials are also pushing for leisure venues and hairdressers to be shut. However, the Health Secretary is said to be encountering resistance from a number of Cabinet “hawks”.

It comes after The Daily Telegraph this week revealed that the traffic light system had been held up due to disagreements over who should be responsible for deciding when areas are moved to the highest tier of restrictions.

Rishi Sunak is now understood to have won the right to be consulted on pub and restaurant closures after proposals were put forward for a new signoff process involving him, the Prime Minister and Mr Hancock.

According to The Times, the Chancellor, and Alok Sharma, the Business Secretary, also argued for more flexibility in the traffic light system and for greater certainty over when areas should have tighter measures imposed on them.

Discussing the latest split over leisure venues and hairdressers, a senior minister said: “It hasn’t been resolved yet. It’s a heated debate, it’s a very difficult balance and both groups are coming at it from different priorities. It’s not a case of saving lives or saving the economy, it’s a fine balance between the two. So there will be discussions around that.”

A government source also played down suggestions of a row, telling The Daily Telegraph: “Everyone across Government is looking to establish what measures may be needed but no decisions have been taken and work is ongoing. Everyone supports the strategy of suppressing the virus and protecting the economy.”