Yorkshire Post

Drink sales as pubs reopen are 50pc down on before, warns MP

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A YORKSHIRE MP has been told he “has a lot of drinking to do” to get pub usage up to pre-pandemic levels as he revealed spending when was down by more than 50 per cent when establishm­ents opened this week.

Conservati­ve MP for Wakefield Imran Ahmad Khan told the Commons that data suggested spending in pubs in his constituen­cy on Monday was at only 43.9 per cent of pre-pandemic levels and asked for a debate on support for the industry.

Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “I’m pleased to hear the good news from Wakefield on the return to a degree of normality but I’m sorry to hear that pubs are only at 43.9 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. [Mr Ahmad Khan[ clearly has a lot of drinking to do to help get Wakefield back up to average.

“There has been a good deal of Government support, taxpayer

support: £5bn for the new restart grants which include pubs and the business rate holiday, which includes pubs, and there is a total cost of cash grants to the taxpayer of £25bn.

“But ultimately this is up to all of us. If we want to save our pubs we have to go into them and it doesn’t mean we have to drink yards of ale, although some may choose to do that. But we want to go in and have something to eat. I believe Scotch eggs are popular in certain quarters and we need to buy our children a Coca-Cola or a lemonade. We need to support our own pub industry if it is to survive.”

Mr Rees-Mogg called on MPs to “lead by example” and pointing towards shadow leader of the house Valerie Vaz added: “[She] wants to go on a pub crawl.”

Addressing Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans, Mr Rees-Mogg said: “I can think of no finer companion than you to take her round the finest pubs of both of your constituen­cies and get Britain’s pubs back into liquidity.”

Meanwhile, York Central Labour MP Rachael Maskell said that “the reopening of the economy is something we all welcome” but added: “However, to leap from this to the mass gatherings at sporting event trials is deeply disturbing on the terms that they are being proposed – not least at York racecourse.”

 ??  ?? IMRAN AHMAD KHAN: Asked for a debate on the possibilit­y of support for hospitalit­y industry.
IMRAN AHMAD KHAN: Asked for a debate on the possibilit­y of support for hospitalit­y industry.

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