Evening Standard backs Can the Curfew as hundreds sign petition

The Evening Standard has backed The Caterer's Can the Curfew campaign and asked the government to reconsider the 10pm curfew on hospitality businesses.

The paper's support came as hundreds of people signed a petition calling on prime minister Boris Johnson to think again.

The petition, which you can sign here, has already passed 500 supporters, with backers including industry leaders Angela Hartnett, Tom Kerridge, Robin Hutson and Asma Khan.

The Caterer hopes to increase the pressure on the government to look again at this measure and give the industry a chance to protect its guests while also constructing a path to recovery and preserving the jobs of hundreds of thousands of people.

Asking guests to all book at earlier times and leave the premises en masse at 10pm runs counter to the aim of social distancing and only serves to increase the risk of coronavirus transmission; while 65% of operators warned their businesses would not survive six months with trade limited by the blanket 10pm closing time.

To sign the petition click here

Concerns that the curfew is counter-productive have been widespread, with the mayors of London and Manchester, Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham, calling for an urgent review after pictures showed crowds gathering in the streets or being forced onto public transport after the carefully controlled environments in which they had been enjoying their evenings were forced to close their doors.