Government urged to save Sunderland’s pubs & breweries by allowing take-away sales during lockdown
Wearside Lib Dems are calling on the Government to allow local pubs and breweries to sell beer to take away during the lockdown in order to save local businesses from permanent closure.
Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Sunderland City Council and councillor for Millfield Niall Hodson is questioning the Government's plan to ban take-away beer and cider during the four-week closure.
Breweries and pubs were allowed to sell alcohol to take-away during the first national lockdown earlier in the year - but the regulations for the second lockdown, which will be debated and voted on by MPs tomorrow (Wednesday 4th November), ban take-away sales of alcohol.
Commenting, Niall Hodson said:
"Our local pubs and breweries are at the heart of our communities and employ hundreds of people - but they have been struggling to recover from the first lockdown and ongoing restrictions like the 10pm curfew.
"They now face another crippling month as they are forced to close. The least the Government can do is to allow them to sell beer and cider for people to safely collect to take-away and have at home.
"Not only would it be a lifeline for these businesses, giving them at least some income during the lockdown, it would also allow people to continue to support local businesses instead of driving people to supermarkets.
"If the Government don't change their mind on this then I fear Sunderland's pubs and local breweries will suffer even more and we risk seeing some of them close for good."