Keir Starmer demands rethink on 10pm pubs curfew when lockdown ends
Keir Starmer demands rethink on 10pm pubs curfew when blanket lockdown ends on December 2 saying closing times should be ‘staggered’ – and off-licences should be forced to shut as well
Sir Keir Starmer today demanded a rethink on the 10pm pubs curfew after the blanket lockdown ends in England, insisting it had not worked’.
The Labour leader raised the prospect that he could withdraw support for the controversial policy – leaving Boris Johnson at the mercy of a major Tory rebellion.
The hospitality industry, along with non-essential retail, has been closed down until December as part of the national squeeze.
But there is already furious wrangling over the shape of the curbs after the measures lapse.
In an LBC phone-in this morning, Sir Keir said he supported what the government had been ‘trying to achieve’ with the curfew, but it ‘didn’t work’.
He suggested that closing times should be spread out so people did not pour out on to the streets all at once, and indicated that off-licences should be shut at the same time to discourage after-hours partying.
‘I do think we get the chance to look again at the 10pm curfew,’ Sir Keir said.
‘We saw people crowding out at 10pm. There is a smarter way of doing this. I think that if you were to stagger that differently so people left at different times it would be far better.’
Sir Keir Starmer raised the prospect that he could withdraw support for the controversial 10pm pubs curfew – leaving Boris Johnson at the mercy of a major Tory rebellion
Sir Keir suggested that closing times should be spread out so people did not pour out on to the streets all at once (pictured, Manchester last month)
Sir Keir pointed to the groundswell of Tories who have been opposing curfew. ‘Lots of people… think this needs to be reviewed. There’s a lot of work for the government to do over this four week period,’ he said.
He said the curfew in Wales had been ‘smarter’ than in England, with closing times staggered.
‘They also smartly closed the off licences at 10 o’clock, the same time,’ he added.
‘What was happening at various parts across England was people coming out of the pubs and going straight to the off licence.
‘That was making people stay around in the city squares for longer.’
The move comes amid claims Mr Johnson believes he was bounced into ordering a second national lockdown.
A Cabinet ally said the premier was regretting his decision, sparking renewed calls from Tory MPs for the restrictions to be cut short.
The Prime Minister reluctantly signed off a new lockdown in England last weekend after being warned by Government scientists that deaths could rise to 4,000 a day – four times the peak seen in April.
The decision was rushed out with minimal Cabinet consultation after news of the warning, and the PM’s reaction to it, was leaked to news organisations, including the Daily Mail.
The 4,000-a-day figure has since been widely discredited and Government scientists have been forced to correct other dire warnings used to inform the lockdown decision.
Some data last week suggested that the second wave may have levelled off or even peaked before the lockdown was introduced last Thursday.
Yesterday another 156 Covid deaths were reported across the UK, down from 162 a week earlier.
Some 20,572 cases were recorded, a fall of 2,682 on the previous Sunday’s total of 23,254.
The Prime Minister, pictured this morning, reluctantly signed off a new lockdown in England last weekend after being warned by Government scientists that deaths could rise to 4,000 a day – four times the peak seen in April
Some 20,572 cases were recorded, a fall of 2,682 on the previous Sunday’s total of 23,254 (graph pictured)
Yesterday another 156 Covid deaths were reported across the UK, down from 162 a week earlier (graph pictured)
One Cabinet minister the Daily Mail that Mr Johnson felt he had been pushed into the decision.
‘I think he is concerned that he may have been bounced into it,’ the source said.
‘He was really, really cross about the leak because at that point a different decision might still have been made.
‘There is also concern that some of the information used to inform the decision now seems to be crumbling.
‘In fact the figures seem to be suggesting things were getting better before the lockdown began – we are being shut down for a month when we did not need to be.’
The source predicted the episode would harden the PM’s attitude against any attempt to renew the restrictions.
‘It means a third or fourth lockdown is very unlikely,’ the source said. ‘All of this goes against his political inclinations.’
Downing Street last night denied that the PM felt he had been bounced into the lockdown.
A Government source said: ‘It is true that we were furious about the leak, but the PM is absolutely clear that the evidence showed these measures were necessary.
‘Even if you put the 4,000 figure to one side, there was plenty of other very concerning data, such as the hospitalisation figures, that made it very clear he had to act.’
But Tory MPs seized on the claim to demand an early end to the draconian restrictions.
Tory former minister Sir Desmond Swayne told MailOnline that carrying out a U-turn should not be a problem, given recent rethinks on free school meals and other issues.
‘We’ve not shown any reluctance to just reverse decisions that we thought were wrong in the recent past,’ the MP said.
‘If we think that the wrong decision has been made then clearly it should be reversed as soon as possible. The less damage done the better. No point in hanging on for the full month just to maximise the pain.
‘Particularly when all the signs are starting to show that actually according to the data we have already turned the corner.’
Another senior MP warned that calls for a shortening would become irresistible if the trend in infections continued.
‘One thing is certain, and that’s if the decline continues the government should be looking at relaxing the restrictions earlier than December 2,’ they said.
‘The economy cannot remain frozen like this.’
