London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 16, 2025

UK hospitality industry reportedly plans to legally challenge Downing Street ahead of potential Covid-19 shutdown

UK hospitality industry reportedly plans to legally challenge Downing Street ahead of potential Covid-19 shutdown

British hospitality venues will reportedly challenge the legality of the government restrictions imposed on the sector as London is about to announce new measures that are likely to affect the industry in Northern England.

Lawyers representing more than 10 hospitality organizations, including such major associations as the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) and the British Beer and Pub Association, are expected to file a legal challenge to the latest round of anti-coronavirus restrictions with the Downing Street on Monday – the day when the government plans to outline new measures to slow down the rising infection rate, The Guardian reported.

The upcoming rules are widely expected to include further restrictions for the hospitality sector and potential closure of the venues in Northern England – the region worst affected by the resurging epidemic. The industry bosses, however, argue that the move that is likely to decimate the sector is not substantiated by any “tangible scientific evidence.”

Michael Kill, the chief executive of NTIA – an association representing more than 1,400 businesses, believes the industries have no other option but to confront the government directly. “Another closure will undoubtedly cause extreme hardship,” he told the Guardian.

"We need to know about the government’s methodology, the science behind it, because otherwise it just feels like these measures against the hospitality industry are disproportionate and unfair."


The NTIA already warned in mid-September that the night-time industry is set to lose some 700,000 jobs without sufficient government assistance.

Sacha Lord, the night-time economy adviser for the Greater Manchester area, argues that the lockdowns are basically senseless since the industries already put rigorous measures in place to protect their clients and staff from the disease.

“The vast majority of businesses have put in place impeccable measures to protect their customers, all at an extra cost to their business, yet it feels like the government are taking another cheap shot at the hospitality industry,” he said.

Yet, the pressure on the Downing Street to take additional measures to tackle the Covid-19 issue grows as well. The UK reports record numbers of new daily infections as both Health Secretary Matt Hancock and deputy chief medical officer for England, Jonathan Van-Tam, describing the situation as a “perilous moment” and a “tipping point.”

In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon already imposed tough lockdown measures on hospitality venues for 16 days, allowing indoor bars and restaurants to operate only between 06:00 and 18:00. Outdoor facilities could do that until 22:00 and serve alcohol unlike the indoor ones. The NTIA, however, said that the Scottish measures put the local industries on the brink of collapse.

The UK government already landed in hot water after it was revealed that its strategy in the field of hospitality industries is based on the data collected from just 98 pubs out of the nation’s 48,000. The outcry even forced the Business Minister Nadhim Zahawi to argue that the research results were sound and the sampling of venues was “pretty robust.” The Minister even turned to his own experience in the “serving industry” and called the study “quite a representative” one.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
×