Sunak holds talks with hospitality business leaders

Chancellor Rishi Sunak and his team have held meetings with business leaders as more and more pressure mounts on the Boris Johnson-led government to provide assistance to companies impacted by the Omicron variant. Cutting his trip to the US short to hold more talks with business leaders last week, Sunak and his team met with a range of hospitality and business organisations including peri-peri chicken restaurant Nando’s and brewery giant Greene King.
Following new guidelines to work from home and prioritise social engagements, offices in major cities in the UK have emptied out and Christmas parties have been cancelled, hurting hospitality businesses. The guidance came in response to the emergence of the Omicron variant. New research suggests the new strain largely evades immunity from past coronavirus infection or two vaccine doses.
Sunak said, “We understand that this is a concerning time for businesses. Myself and my wider team met with business representatives earlier today, listened to their concerns and will continue to work with industry leaders over the coming days. To keep safeguarding our economic recovery and the lives and livelihoods of the British people our priority is now to make sure everyone has the opportunity to ‘Get Booster Now’.”
Sunak’s priorities after returning to the UK was to start “unblocking” £250m held by local authorities under the additional restrictions grant for companies hit the hardest by the new rules, as said by media reports.