The hospitality industry is furiously calling for Rishi Sunak to ‘wake up and help’ after the public was advised to ‘de-prioritise’ social events.
It’s left pubs and restaurants facing a wave of cancellations as people heed Chris Whitty’s advice to ‘prioritise what matters’ ahead of Christmas.
In an echo of March 2020 – when Boris Johnson told people to avoid pubs, but stopped short of closing them with proper financial support – there’s currently no mention of how the Government will help hospitality businesses survive such financial losses.
The Chancellor has been markedly quiet on the matter of support, such as furlough, this time around – he’s currently in California, the Mirror has reported – sparking fury in the hospitality sector.
Well-known figures from the restaurant world have all made cries to the Chancellor like: “Stand up and help,” and: “It’s time for Rishi to say something.”
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Rishi Sunak / Credit: gov.uk
The Government has also been accused of ‘abusing hospitality’.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said on Twitter: “You can’t tell people to ‘think carefully’ before going to pubs and restaurants and then fail to provide any support for the workers/businesses affected.
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“The Government needs to bring forward a support package TODAY for hospitality, events, music and other affected sectors.”
Sacha Lord, who has been busy making rallying cries on news programmes this morning, tweeted: “Colleagues across the UK are waking up broken and in fear. Staff hours are dropping off a cliff.
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“@RishiSunak YOU NEED TO STAND UP. We need IMMEDIATE help and a long term strategy to save us.”
He added that someone needs to ‘urgently wake up’ the Chancellor, saying that he has ‘turned his back’ on the fifth-largest industry in the UK.
Can someone URGENTLY wake up @RishiSunak please.
Chancellor, you’ve turned your back on the 5th biggest industry in the UK.
You will be responsible for the decimation of businesses, livelihoods and mass redundancies. pic.twitter.com/vxj75IWLka
Paul Jones is the co-founder of Manchester brewery Cloudwater, and actively involved in EatWell MCR’s mission to provide tasty meals to vulnerable people in the region.
He supported the message to limit social contacts as Omicron cases rise, but said: “The government is abusing hospitality businesses by (rightly) encouraging reduced socialisation at this time of sky-rocketing Omicron cases, but wrongly and callously offering no financial support to industries directly affected by sharp downturns.”
Cloudwater’s Manchester taproom / Credit: Cloudwater
Tom Kerridge, of Manchester’s Bull & Bear restaurant, was on Sky News this morning, saying: “You have to question as to why we have a point where Chris Whitty is saying one thing and the Government don’t appear to be backing that up or saying the same thing.
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“You have to question, is that because there isn’t a support package there? Or if there is, it’s time for Rishi Sunak – wherever he’s gone – to say something and let us know what’s going on.”
Celebrity chef Michel Roux Jr said it was giving ‘Deja vu March 2020’, and First Dates host and hospitality figure Fred Sirieix described the situation as ‘a shambles’.
What shambles! What disaster for #hospitality Thousands will lose their jobs. How will they look after their family/pay rent/mortgage? This is a huge crisis. What support will those in need get?
Elaine Wrigley, from Manchester’s Atlas Bar, said: “If targeted support was there, then @GOVUK guidance would be fine. We all want to do the right thing.
“Reality however, is that we’ve #lockdown by stealth, and a very concerning winter ahead of us, in city centres, #Manchester. Where is @RishiSunak @BorisJohnson?”
The Guardian’s Gaby Hinsliff posted: “All eyes on Rishi Sunak, then. Morally wrong for PM to host a presser unsubtly-hinting-but-not-quite-saying don’t go out on the town in the run-up to Christmas, but then deny support pubs, restaurants, theatres, cinemas etc. Parliament should force the issue.”
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Manchester set for its busiest weekend of the year with pop-up Park and Rides to open
Emily Sergeant
Pop-up Park and Ride facilities are set to open as Manchester prepares for what’s expected to be its busiest weekend of the year.
The festive season in the run up to Christmas always sees more people flock to the city centre than usual, but this weekend will likely be even busier than expected, as not only are Manchester Christmas Markets still in full swing, but there are also a number of gigs, live festive shows, and major sporting events coinciding with this.
So in a weekend that sees legends gigging and the Manchester Derby take place, as you would expect, thousands are predicted to flock to Manchester city centre and Etihad Campus.
Manchester Christmas Markets are in full swing and Paul McCartney will be at Co-op Live this weekend / Credit: The Manc Group | Wikimedia Commons
Because of this, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is taking action and encouraging people to dodge the likely congestion and use public transport instead where possible – with pop-up Park and Rides set to be introduced for weekend shoppers and fun-seekers who do want or need to drive.
On Saturday and Sunday, Booth Street West Car Park D (M15 6PD) – which will have 965 parking spaces available – will be free for customers travelling to the city centre by bus, and then again on Sunday, the same car park will be free for those attending Paul McCartney at Co-op Live.
Your ticket to the gig must be shown on entry, before a dedicated shuttle bus then takes you from the car park to the Etihad Campus.
Disney On Ice will be hosting four shows at AO Arena this weekend / Credit: Supplied
Shuttle buses – which are only available on the Sunday – will depart from Higher Cambridge Street and run to Co-op Live and back every 15 mins from 4pm until midnight.
Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground (Talbot Road, Stretford, M16 0PX) will also have 500 parking spaces available for Metrolink customers on Sunday, but you must show a valid pre-booked tram ticket to park there.
On Sunday [15 Dec], we’re offering free parking at Emirates Old Trafford to help relieve congestion in the city.
The Park and Ride is available to customers with a valid tram ticket purchased on the app, at a ticket machine or via contactless.
Anyone else planning to drive across the weekend may also want to consider using one of the permanent Park and Ride sites and complete their journey on foot or by public transport, and you can find more information and the locations of these sites on the Bee Network website here.
Tram capacity has been increased for the festive season, with every available tram running until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
The V1 and 36 bus services now also run 24 hours a day.
Other late-running buses on the Bee Network from Manchester include the 43 service to Manchester Airport, the 86 to Sale, and the 142 to East Didsbury.
Body found in search for missing Stockport postman Steven Caulfield
Emily Sergeant
A body has been found in the search for a 70-year-old former postman from Stockport who went missing a couple of months ago.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) issued a public appeal after to help find Steven Caulfield, who was last seen in the vicinity of the golf course next to Middlewood Way, in the Marple area of Stockport, at around 4pm Tuesday 1 October, after he failed to return home from a walk.
Since Steven was reported missing, an extensive missing person investigation was launched by Stockport detectives, alongside a widespread search by specialist GMP officers, and a number of missing appeals were also published on social media and shared widely – not just in Greater Manchester, but all across the UK.
#UPDATE | At around 12pm today (Wednesday 11th December 2024), an officer sadly located a body in woodland near to Middlewood Way in Stockport.
At this time, we believe this is likely to be Steven Caulfield who went missing on Tuesday 1 October.
But sadly, at around 12pm yesterday (Wednesday 11 December 2024), a GMP officer has sadly located a body in a woodland area near to Middlewood Way in Stockport, and at this time, police believe this is likely to be the body of Steven Caulfield.
Steven’s next of kin have been made aware and are currently being supported by officers.
There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding Steven’s death, according to GMP.
Speaking on the discovery of the body, Chief Superintendent Lewis Hughes, Stockport District Commander and GMP lead for Disaster Victim Identification, said: “Our deepest condolences remain with Steven’s family and friends, who have been devastated by this traumatic news, we have officers supporting them through this difficult time.
“It has been a challenging couple of months since the missing report came to us in GMP and our Tactical Aid Unit, Specialist Search, Canine and Underwater Units were all utilised to search for Steven in challenging conditions and locations around the Middlewood Way.
“We hope today’s discovery provides some answers for Steven’s loved ones.”
Daisy Jackson -
16th December 2021 
