Hospitality boss share fears of more restrictions to come after Plan B

Plan B coronavirus restrictions have left the industry on “an edge of fear”, according to one Leeds boss, with businesses now facing a “long winter” ahead of them.

Infections reached their highest daily tally since January yesterday, and firms across the country now reporting a raft of cancellations as confusion and apprehension over the new rules and case rates encourage are leading some to stay home

After a turbulent week for the Prime Minister, Downing Street confirmed yesterday that they have cancelled their own Christmas party, despite telling people to carry on with their own plans, with revellers in Scotland now told to consider scrapping their festive gatherings.

Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said that the decision had been taken following the implementation of Plan B coronavirus measures earlier this week, and is based on the latest scientific data.

Martin Greenhow, managing director of the Mojo brand of bars across the North of England has voiced his fears that more rules could be coming down the track soon.

Plan B, announced earlier this week, saw a return to work from home guidance and the expansion of mask wearing into some indoor settings, however hospitality is still exempted.

Mr Greenhow told The Yorkshire Post: “My very real concern is maybe they felt that it was too bitter pill to get the public to swallow in one hit, and that this is now the first step and I really fear that this is just the beginning.

“And that we will see further measures.”

Yesterday, there were reports in a number of national newspapers that other measures could be considered in the future, a so-called ‘Plan C’.

Mr Greenhow added: “There was a denial of knowledge of Plan B not that long ago.

“Now we’re moving on to Plan C, where there’s talk of vaccine passports everywhere, and face masks, basically going back to the situation we saw in Tiers.

The bar boss went on: “There’s very definitely an edge of fear among some people and uncertainty.

“It’s hugely debilitating to our industry at the time of year when we when we need to be making hay as it were.

“There’s a long winter ahead of us to get through.”

After a week mired in scandal, Boris Johnson’s ratings among the general public seem to have slumped dramatically.

A YouGov poll conducted over Wednesday and Thursday said the Prime Minister’s net favourability rating has fallen 11 points in a month to -42%.

A separate poll for the Times suggested the Tories had dropped to their worst rating in nearly a year, with Labour given a four-point lead in research that will alarm Conservative backbenchers further.

The figures come after a leaked video appeared to show top Downing Street aides laughing and joking over an apparent Christmas party.

Filmed last December, the clip follows the reports that staff held a festive party in the Government building last December 18, when London and large parts of the rest of the country were under tight Tier 3 restrictions which banned socialising indoors. The party is said to have happened just hours before the introduction of Tier 4 measures, which effectively cancelled Christmas for millions of people across the country.

Mr Johnson also faces questions over whether he misled an investigation into the funding of lavish refurbishments to his flat in No 11.