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Sadiq Khan urges immediate scrapping of 10pm curfew

Sadiq Khan said he had 'said for a while that the current curfew rule needs to be rapidly reviewed' - Eddie Mulholland
Sadiq Khan said he had 'said for a while that the current curfew rule needs to be rapidly reviewed' - Eddie Mulholland
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter

The controversial 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants should be "immediately scrapped" to help hospitality businesses adjust to new coronavirus restrictions, Sadiq Khan has said.

The Mayor of London said allowing pubs and restaurants to stay open later would provide a financial boost after Tier 2 restrictions banned households in the capital from mixing indoors.

The new measures, which came into force in London on Saturday, mean pubs and restaurants can only serve groups of customers who live together and abide by the "rule of six".

Mr Khan said: "I have said for a while that the current curfew rule needs to be rapidly reviewed. We saw the worrying consequences of increased social mixing on the streets and on public transport in the capital around 10pm immediately after its introduction.

Watch: Piers Corbyn protests against 10pm curfew in London

"Now London and other parts of the country have moved into Tier 2 and higher restrictions, which prohibit household mixing, the current 10pm curfew policy makes even less sense and should be scrapped.

"Immediately scrapping the 10pm curfew would allow more sittings of single households in restaurants throughout the evening, helping with cashflow at a time when venues need all the support they can get."

However, last month Mr Khan appeared to call for a curfew to be imposed in London when discussing measures that could help to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The Mayor said: "One of the things that we think may work, is in some parts of the country we've seen a 10pm time. The time does not matter. There is nothing magic about 10pm or 11pm. The issue is the amount of hours people are spending together where they could be asymptomatic and the virus passes on."

The Conservative mayoral candidate, Shaun Bailey, said: "In September, Sadiq Khan called for a lockdown. Now he's calling for fewer restrictions, asking ministers to scrap the 10pm curfew that he himself demanded.

"Sadiq Khan is out of his depth. If he wants to help hospitality businesses, he should scrap his Congestion Charge hike."

Under Tier 2 restrictions, which cover regions including London, Essex and York, household mixing is still permitted outside and groups of up to six can meet in pub beer gardens and restaurants with outdoor seating.

Last week, Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, told MPs the curfew was a "matter of policy choice" in order to keep schools and workplaces open, rather than something driven by scientific advice.

Watch: How will England's three-tier local lockdown system work?