Hospitality businesses demand clarity from Nicola Sturgeon after last week’s u-turn cost them thousands

Hospitality chiefs have demanded that SNP ministers “put businesses out of their misery” and urgently tell them whether areas will see Covid restrictions reimposed next week.

Representatives of Scotland's pubs and restaurants are braced for a repeat of last week's u-turn from Nicola Sturgeon, when she unexpectedly announced that Glasgow would remain in Level 3, provoking fury from firms which had been preparing for a major influx of customers.

There is speculation that almost 200,000 Scots living in East Renfrewshire and Midlothian could soon join Glasgow in Level 3, which means alcohol cannot be served indoors. However, it is understood industry bosses have been warned to expect another last-minute decision, which may not be announced until Friday.

Cases rates in Glasgow have continued to rise to 109.9 per 100,000 population, while cases in East Renfrewshire and Midlothian - both currently in Level 2 - stand at 101.5 and 56.2 per 100,000 respectively, well above the nominal threshold of 50 for remaining in Level 2.

Cases in Moray - currently in Level 3 - are now down to 40.7, however, increasing hopes that the area will join most of the country in Level 2 next week.

Stephen Montgomery, a landlord and spokesman for the Scottish Hospitality Group (SHG), warned that businesses “can’t operate on the level of loss and uncertainty” that Ms Sturgeon’s current system causes.

While there have also been outbreaks in England linked to the Indian variant, UK ministers have so far resisted imposing local restrictions.

“Businesses in these areas or any other area for that matter need more than a couple of days' notice of any changes and for any announcement to come at the start of the working day, not the end,” said Mr Montgomery, who accused Ms Sturgeon of having “no understanding” of how the sector works.

“You would think that after 14 months, those in a position of power would have understood the basics of hospitality and how we operate.

“Just as we’ve seen in Glasgow, a sudden shift means a lot of wasted time, money, effort, and more importantly anxiety, stress and further mental health concerns for staff and operators."

The First Minister’s last-minute announcement on Friday afternoon that Glasgow would remain in Level 3 just three days after she said it would move into Level 2 plunged pubs and restaurants in Scotland’s largest city into chaos, with businesses losing thousands of pounds worth of stock.

The £750 per week in support Ms Sturgeon announced for affected businesses has been described as “significantly” less than what firms require to survive, with the SHG estimating that the average pub or restaurant loses around £7,000 a week in the tighter restrictions.

Under Level 3 rules, indoor hospitality must close by 8pm and cannot serve alcohol inside, while residents are not allowed to meet up in one another's homes or hug loved ones.

In Level 2, however - which most of mainland Scotland currently falls under - hugs and indoor home visits are permitted while hospitality can serve alcohol indoors until 10.30pm.

Amid fears that the controversial ‘Levels’ system could once again become the norm, the industry has pleaded for parity with businesses in England where there are no curfews on trading hours.

The industry body also questioned why Ms Sturgeon chose to keep Glasgow and Moray in Level 3 when Covid hotspots in England were able to move with the rest of the country into greater freedoms.

“Now that the vaccine is having such huge benefits, we also think that the main measure should be hospital data, not cases,” Mr Montgomery said.

There are currently 78 people in hospital with Covid in Scotland, with just four in intensive care.

The SHG claimed it had been asking for a meeting with Nicola Sturgeon to discuss restrictions for the last six months but they have not received any acknowledgement of their repeated requests.

“Throughout the pandemic the SNP have failed to engage with the hospitality sector and ensure they have been part of the decision-making process,” Maurice Golden, economy spokesman for the Scottish Tories, said.

“Hospitality businesses in other areas where cases are currently increasing cannot be left in a state of continued uncertainty over what restrictions they will be operating under going forward.”

The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.