Greater Manchester’s Night time economy advisor Sacha Lord and Hugh Osmond, Founder of Punch Taverns are to take the Government to court over the lack of evidence for delaying reopening of hospitality industry for five weeks after “non-essential” retail.

In a letter to the prime minister, they said there is no “evidence or justification” to open shops five weeks before pubs and restaurants adding that it is “plainly irrational”.

The pair have asked the government to seek specific advice from scientists “whether it is justifiable to prevent the hospitality industry opening whilst, at the same time, allowing non-essential shops to open”.

They argued that “transmission is plainly higher in non-essential shops,” and said they would pursue legal action if the government did not provide evidence to the contrary.

Commenting UKHospitality CEO, Kate Nicholls, said:

“The swift vaccine rollout and its impact on case numbers is extremely positive. It gives us hope that the Government will be able to deliver on its commitment to make this the last ever lockdown and, most importantly, to remove all social distancing restrictions for good on 21 June. While any restrictions remain in place, our pubs and restaurants can only break even and the viability of thousands remains at risk – we lost over 12,000 in the last year alone.

That is why we urge the Government to review the roadmap and look to remove or reduce restrictions on trading – table service, online or takeaway only, no standing outdoors – at the earliest possible opportunity. It may also be possible to allow some limited indoor operations to resume at an earlier date. While we understand the need for caution, we would urge the Government to review the roadmap again and make decisions based on data, not dates.

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