Chairman of popular pub-restaurant group blasts Matt Hancock over flawed Covid-19 figures
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The chairman of Oakman Inns is challenging Matt Hancock to prove that the spike in England's cases emanates from pubs and restaurants.
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Hide AdPeter Borg-Neal, whose company Oakman Inns owns 28 pubs across Southern England and the Midlands, believes the situation needs to come under full Parliamentary scrutiny.
Oakman Inns, like many other responsible hospitality businesses has massively invested already-stretched funds into creating safe environments in line with Government advice and local and national legal requirements.
The restaurants have continued to reinvent themselves so that that their staff can work safely and their customers can come and eat, drink and socialise in seated only settings safely.
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Hide AdFollowing the leaked Government threats of curfews and lockdowns, Mr Borg-Neal, is challenging Matt Hancock to prove that the spike in England’s case increase emanates from pubs and restaurants.
Mr Borg-Neal said: "This is despite being repeatedly advised by his own officials at PHE that all ARI cases in pubs and restaurants are consistently low.
"Last week, for example, there were less than 34 cases reported across the entire pub and restaurant sector, despite record visits during the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
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Hide Ad"The reality is that the highest incidents are in care homes which ludicrously suggests thousands of ‘grannies’ going down to the pub.
"We employ over 1000 people and we are in comparison to many pub companies quite small and the impact of a second lockdown must lead to massive job cuts and a complete end to all capital expenditure and investment.
"We have been stringently complying with the NHS Test & Trace system."
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Hide AdPubs and restaurants opened 11 weeks ago and there was no spike in cases – indeed they continued to decline.
What has happened in recent weeks is a return to work and a return to school.
Mr Borg-Neal believes it is vital that Parliament is allowed to scrutinise the inaccuracies and kneejerk generalisations based on little more than ill-founded preconceptions that have led to growing unemployment and a collapsing economy.
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Hide AdHe told LBC this morning (Monday): "We have been getting back on our feet, and now we could be smashed back down again is really, really very worrying.
"If there was great evidence that public health would benefit from pubs and restaurants closing then great, but there is no evidence."
OAKMAN RUNS THE FOLLOWING VENUES IN OUR AREAS:
Bedfordshire
White Hart, Ampthill
Buckinghamshire
Beech House, Amersham
Beech House, Beaconsfield
Cherry Tree, Olney
The Akeman Inn, Kingswood
Betsey Wynne, Swanbourne
The Polecat Inn, Prestwood
Hertfordshire
King’s Arms, Berkhamsted
Banyers House, Royston
Beech House, St Albans
The Red Lion, Water End
The Akeman, Tring
Northamptonshire
The Navigation at Thrupp Wharf, Cosgrove
Oxfordshire
The Crown & Thistle, Abingdon
The Old Post Office, Wallingford
Blue Boar, Witney
Warwickshire
The Globe, Warwick
The Four Alls, Welford-on-Avon
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