Pubs, clubs and bars hope to reopen by June 21st
Pints could be much cheaper when pubs reopen after lockdown, as hinted at by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Johnson is rumoured to be considering a range of measures to help the hospitality industry, which has been decimated by the coronavirus pandemic.
One of the measures being discussed involves cutting the amount of tax paid on alcohol by pubs and bars. Supermarket drinks would instead face a minor tax hike to redress the balance.
When asked about the likelihood of this occurring during Wednesday’s Prime Minister’s Questions session, Johnson said a review was ongoing.
He said: “This is an extremely good point which I’m sure will be heard with great interest around the country.
“There is such a review being carried out after consulting owners and brewers, and I know that the Chancellor is looking very closely at the findings.”
Scotch eggs be gone pic.twitter.com/GynUQynm7L
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) February 22, 2021
On Monday, Johnson outlined his roadmap out of lockdown to the House of Commons.
Here it is in full:
STEP ONE
March 8th
People still legally required to stay at home
Schools to reopen in full
Recreation with household or one other person outside allowed
30 people allowed at funerals, 6 allowed at weddings or wakes
March 29th
Stay at home order reneged, but people advised to remain local. No holidays allowed
Meetings of either six people or two households permitted outside
Outdoor sport and leisure facilities allowed to reopen (tennis courts, golf courses)
Organised outdoor sport allowed for children and adults
Outdoor parent and child groups (up to 15 parents) allowed
STEP TWO
No earlier than April 12th
Indoor leisure – including gyms – open for use individually or for household groups
Rule of six or two households allowed to mix outside, not inside
Outdoor attractions – zoos, theme parks and drive-in cinemas – can reopen
Libraries and community centres reopen
Barbers, hairdressers and nail salons can reopen
All retail can reopen
Outdoor hospitality can reopen
Domestic overnight stays allowed (household only)
Minimised travel advised, no international holiday
Event pilots will begin
STEP THREE
No earlier than May 17th
Indoor entertainment and attractions allowed
30 person limit outdoors
Rule of six or two households indoors allowed
Domestic stays overnight allowed
Organised indoor adult sport can resume
Some large events will begin again, with 1,000 or 50% capacity indoors, and 4,000 or 50% capacity outdoors
Outdoor seated events allowed 10,000 or 25% of capacity – this includes professional sport
International travel allowed subject to review
STEP FOUR
No earlier than June 21st
No legal limits on social contact
Nightclubs can reopen
Larger events return
No legal limit on all life events, such as weddings, wakes and funerals
All of these steps are contingent, said the prime minister on the UK passing four key tests, and they are as follows:
That the UK’s vaccine deployment programme continues to be a success
That evidence shows jabs are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations, deaths and transmissions in vaccinated people
That the NHS is not put under unsustainable pressure from a surge in infections and hospitalisations
That the government’s view of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new coronavirus variants
