Lucy Powell – 2020 Comments on Supporting Hospitality Reopening

Below are the comments made by Lucy Powell, the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, on 15 June 2020.

Small businesses closed to keep us safe. With retail now re-opening, we should shop local and support high streets to give them a boost.

It’s vital that ministers turn their attention to the hospitality sector, providing clarity and guidance so that businesses can plan to reopen in the coming weeks. That means no more backroom briefings to Tory MPs, and more public advice and guidance to companies about how they can safely reopen.

Alongside this, we urge the government to publish an action plan which maximises economic viability, whilst minimising the risk to the health of customers and staff. If they fail to act, our communities will lose much-loved pubs, bars and restaurants, and we’ll see a wave of closures and unemployment which will damage villages, towns and cities across the country.