Oldham MP: “Don’t let our pubs become an afterthought”

Oldham West and Royton MP Jim McMahon

One of Oldham’s MPs has written to the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, asking for an early indication on any potential movement in the tier system to give the hospitality and leisure sector to prepare for reopening.

His call comes after Jim McMahon, MP for Oldham West and Royton, held a hospitality roundtable with local businesses and a panel of experts last week.

During the meeting, attended by Greater Manchester Night-time Economy Adviser Sacha Lord, Oldham Council’s Director of Economy Emma Barton, William Lees-Jones of JW Lees Brewery, and John Townsend, an Oldham based business and financial adviser, it became clear that one of the biggest worries for Oldham’s hospitality and leisure industry is time.

Businesses have been left in the dark about what their future looks like for weeks. In his letter, Jim asks government for an ‘early indication of its intentions’ so that businesses in Oldham, and across Greater Manchester, are given some much-needed time to plan and prepare for a potential re-opening.

He said: “This is the third letter I’ve written to Secretary of State about our experiences on the ground here in Oldham since August. I’ve not received a reply to the others yet but I’ll keep making our case regardless.

“Our pubs and bars play a vital role in our communities – we would not be the same without them. So it is vitally important that government gives them the clarity they need as soon as possible.

“Many businesses in the hospitality industry have spent thousands of pounds to ensure their venues are Covid secure, they have jumped through every hoop and abided by every new rule imposed upon them, and often at short notice. So my message to government is simple: don’t let our pubs become an afterthought.”

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