Following last night’s announcement by the Prime Moron this morning the treasury confirmed new grants for businesses.
You know an announcement is going to be serious when the BBC push back Eastenders to screen it. Yet despite this there was little interest from the hospitality industry in the latest government bleating. This is hardly surprising, after all when you’re eating a shit sandwich finding out whether it’s going to include cress doesn’t seem that important.
As it turns out on first look the announcement actually seemed reasonably positive for hospitality. At this stage I think we have all accepted that hospitality isn’t going to reopen until the vaccine is widely administered to those most vulnerable, and the death and R rates are on the fall. In that respect putting the country into a new lockdown and most importantly closing schools can only be positive.
Of course, this should have been done a lot earlier, it seems the only time the PM is decisive is when he’s deciding whether or not to put a condom on whilst shagging around.
Once the finer details were released it quickly became apparent that when it comes to attacking hospitality they just will not let it lye. Although in England deliveries are still allowed, takeaway/click and collect sales of alcohol are no longer permitted. We know of many venues that have been using these sales to pay the bills and although there may be less people walking about now this is still going to take away an important revenue stream for many.
This morning saw an announcement from the treasury and Chancer-llor Rishi Sunak for businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure. New grants have been announced ‘to help keep them afloat until spring’.
The one-off grants, will be worth up to £9,000 per property. With £4,000 going to those with a rateable value below £15,000, £6,000 to those with a value between £15,000 – £51,000 and £9,000 for those above £51,000, according to the treasury. Details of how and when these will be distributed has yet to be announced.
A further £594 million will be given to local authorities and devolved administrations for discretionary payments. There is also the furlough scheme which was recently extended to end of April.
How useful these payments are will very much be dependent on the venues situation. Inevitably they will fall into the ‘not enough but better than nothing’ category for most.
All of this is news is comparative to the speed at which the government can get these vaccines administered. Their track record hasn’t been great over the last year at delivering on promises but hopefully, much like Johnson hush money, this time it is forthcoming.