A group of five leading breweries and pub chains in Greater Manchester have criticised Boris Johnson’s plans for the harshest lockdown restrictions.
Manchester breweries Joseph Holt, Hydes and JW Lees, alongside Frederic Robinson of Stockport and Thwaites of Blackburn, have said government policy to single out pubs for closure in tier three ‘is a national disgrace’.
It comes as Greater Manchester yesterday looked set to enter tier three, although no decision has been made.
The group said it stands by the stance taken by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham that pubs cannot be closed down under tier three restrictions with limited compensation.
“The government is not able to produce any evidence that pubs or the hospitality sector is a significant factor in coronavirus transmission - because there is none,” the group said.
The group said pubs are being “victimised and made a scapegoat in a desperate political effort to be seen to do something”.
“Victimising pubs for closure will destroy people’s businesses and employment, take away the homes of landlords and their families and cause community misery and financial ruin in the North of England and Wales.
“Shutting our pubs would be a deliberate political act of wilful economic destruction, visited upon the North for no gain.
“Our pubs have already been made Covid-secure and are safe and ready to play their part in their communities through the winter – Northerners should not agree that their economies, employment and communities are deliberately devastated by this Conservative government’s action.”
They said: “Since the start of July our 860 pubs, in Manchester and around the North West of England and North Wales, have had not one case where they have been contacted by Track and Trace as a result of linked virus cases in one of our pubs.
“Our pubs have had between 8 and 10m visits since reopening in July - we are aware informally of only 15-20 individuals who have been in touch with their pub in the days after visiting to say that they have contracted the virus.
“This equates to 0.25 people per 100,000 visits of pub goers who might have or more likely did not contract the virus on a visit to a pub.”
The statement was penned by Richard Kershaw, chief executive officer at Joseph Holt, Adam Mayers, managing director at Hydes, William Lees-Jones, managing director at JW Lees, Oliver & William Robinson, joint managing directors at Frederic Robinson and Richard Bailey, chief executive officer at Thwaites.
