Further financial support could be forthcoming for tier-hit hospitality

Prime minister Boris Johnson could announce further financial support for pubs and restaurants hit by Covid-19 restrictions due to come in this week, The Telegraph has reported.

Details are expected to be announced this week with the crucial parliamentary vote on the tier system to take place tomorrow.

Meanwhile, according to The Times, the prime minister has written to MPs hinting that some Tier 3 areas could be moved down to Tier 2 and could be backing off on placing whole counties into the same tier.

UKHospitality has spearheaded an open letter to the prime minister detailing necessary support for the sector this winter, with signatories including the bosses of D&D London, Bartlett Mitchell, The Restaurant Group, PizzaExpress and Burger King UK.

The letter urged the prime minister to keep the tiers under regular, weekly review and to review the decision not to allow hospitality to participate in the festive bubble proposals, to extend business rates support throughout 2021, and extend the business rates holiday and VAT reduction.

It said: "We want to help the government roll out mass testing. We want to be here to host the party, the wedding, the family celebration. We want to support community well-being in the cold, dark months of the New Year. We want to play a leading role in our economic revival. But we won't be able to do any of this unless your government looks again at both the evidence and our commitment and gives the British public what they need to get us all safely through the winter."

Operators last week said the tighter tier system due to come in on Wednesday showed a 'complete disregard' for hospitality, while those that were confirmed to be going into the higher tiers were devastated at the loss of vital pre-Christmas trade.

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