200,000 London pub workers could lose their jobs THIS WEEKEND amid Tier 2 lockdown, warns hospitality chief

AROUND 200,000 London pub workers could lose their jobs this weekend as Tier 2 lockdown restrictions kick in, a hospitality chief has warned.

From midnight today, boozers from different households will no longer be able to drink inside pubs in the capital under the new restrictions.

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But Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, has warned the measures could be "catastrophic" - with 200,000 at risk of losing their jobs at pubs in London alone.

And the chief says there is "no support" being offered to help fund the country's hospitality industry under Tier 2 lockdown.

She told BBC Breakfast: "The pain of Tier 2 is that you have no government support and that's what we need the government to urgently address otherwise you are going to have about 200,000 people in central London losing their jobs this weekend.

"If you go into level three you are getting support if you're closed, so at least you would have something to pay the teams.

"For businesses in this part of the capital it would probably be better to be paid to be closed."

Almost a third of restaurants and pubs in England will be affected by the strict new measures with Essex, York and parts of Derbyshire joining the capital.

But unlike the strictest Tier 3 restrictions slapped on Liverpool and Lancashire, no financial package is being made available for areas in Tier 2.

Government sources say the existing Job Support Scheme and business loans to help firms through the pandemic “cover all bases” already.

But ministers are understood to be giving Lancashire, which plunged into Tier 3 today, a package worth as much as £42million.

This is to cover the costs of businesses that have been forced to close - including pubs and bars that don't serve main meals.

Ms Nicholls has now branded the move to Tier 2 a "curse" for businesses as they will be stuck in a "no man's land" of remaining open but with a significant impact on trade.

She added: "Venues in London have already taken a hit due to the dip in inbound tourism and with people increasingly working from home.

"A move into Tier 2 will now be catastrophic for some of them and it is only going to be made worse by the end of the furlough scheme in under two weeks.

"The Government must remove employer contributions from the Job Support Scheme for hospitality or apply tier 3 job support to tier 2 businesses.

"If it does not, we are looking at catastrophic businesses closures and widespread job losses in the capital as early as 1 November."

Nine million Londoners will be plunged into Tier 2 lockdown from midnight with a ban on households mixing.

But people can meet up in beer gardens and private gardens, where the national rule of six applies.

The move came after London Mayor Sadiq Khan piled pressure on Boris Johnson to pull the trigger - despite no financial package available.

He has also doubled down on his demands for a national "circuit breaker" lockdown after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the punishing measures would be the only way to stop the spread.

It comes as a Battle of the North has erupted between Boris and Manchester mayor Andy Burnham over placing the city under Tier 3 restrictions.

The PM has now turned up on the heat on the mayor - arguing the restrictions are about "saving lives".

But Mr Burnham is locked in a stalemate with the government over the financial support that will be made available to them.

He is demanding an 80 per cent furlough scheme for all affected workers, 80 per cent income support for the self-employed and a proper compensation scheme for businesses in the event of a Tier 3 lockdown.

But Boris fired back this afternoon: "The levels of infection are rising steeply, the level of infections are rising steeply, and we do need to see action (in Manchester).

"I'd much rather not impose things, I'd much rather work things out with the local authorities with the Mayor in Manchester, but it's up to the local leaders to show the kind of leadership we've seen in Liverpool, Lancashire and London."