Extension of a VAT cut will be welcomed by some in the sector, but for a large number of wet-led businesses and late night operations that have seen themselves cut down at the knees by the curfew, it means nothing.
Of course, the politicians will point to the Job Support Scheme and say there’s support for everyone, but how is that any good if you’re forced to shut up shop because you can’t afford to run your business? If that’s the only thing they can offer in terms of support, well, it’s a safe bet that there probably won’t be any jobs left for the scheme to support.
The Government needs to wake up to the fact that it’s targeted the hospitality sector way beyond the grounds of reasonability and as a result, it has a duty of responsibility to ensure the sector is supported, businesses can survive and jobs will be protected.
An industry that was bending over backwards to ensure a safe and responsible, slow return to normality, complying with all that has been asked of it, has now once again had one arm tied behind its back, if not both, and is being left high and dry by the people that inflicted this unfair situation on it.
So, come on Mr Sunak – you were the toast of the sector during lockdown, we need to see you ride to the rescue once again with some targeted support that ensures we don’t see a massive part of the UK economy disappear while your colleagues flail around in the dark trying to find some way to look like they know what they’re doing during this crisis.