Coronavirus: 10pm pub curfew to remain in place despite chaotic scenes at kick-out time
Video report by ITV News Political Correspondent Paul Brand
The curfew on pubs - which has been branded "counter-productive" by opponents - will remain in place, despite chaotic scenes on streets following the 10pm kick-out this weekend.
Downing Street has defended the rule in the face of warnings from some scientists advising the government that it may be doing more harm than good.
Labour's Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham told ITV News the 10pm curfew gives an "incentive" for people to "gather in the street, or probably at home".
Over the weekend, large crowds gathered in city and town centres following the new closing time, which came into force in England on Thursday in an attempt to stem the spread of coronavirus infections.
Long queues were seen outside off-licences as people rushed to buy more alcohol while others piled on to public transport with little or no social distancing.
Mr Burnham said scenes on Saturday of people "spilling onto the streets at 10 o'clock" proved the rule is "doing more harm than good".
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He called on the government to carry out an "urgent review" of the curfew rule and said "if it is going to stay, perhaps we need to have a 9pm cut-off at the sale of alcohol in supermarkets and shops so there isn't that incentive for people to rush out of the pub into the supermarkets".
"That, probably to me, would make more sense," he added, "but I think there's a question mark over the curfew overall."
Downing Street said the measure struck the “right balance” between protecting the public and allowing pubs and restaurants to continue trading.
Asked if the restriction would be reconsidered, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “No. I would obviously say we keep all of our social distancing measures under review but no there’s nothing in that regard.”
Number 10 also played down the prospect of allowing more flexibility for a staggering of exit times.
The spokesman said: “I’m not aware of anything specific in that regard. The decision to reduce time to 10pm was based on the fact it had been in operation in the local lockdown areas and had been considered to strike the right balance.”
Professor Susan Michie, a member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said it was always “predictable” that ejecting people on to the streets at the same time would lead to crowds forming.
Prof Michie, a behavioural scientist at University College London, said it was “especially concerning” that people were being pressed together in the confined spaces of public transport and that it was of the “utmost importance” ministers listened to scientific advice.
“These consequences of the curfew undermine the gains saved by shortening the latter part of the evening and may even be counterproductive,” she said.
“The measure is another example of a restriction brought in outwith a coherent strategy and without sufficient consultation with relevant experts and communities.”
Professor Robert Dingwall, a sociologist who also advises the Government, said it was another example of “patrician policymaking”.
“When were any of those involved in making this decision last in a city centre pub at closing time? The disdain for the night-time economy reflects the puritan streak in public health that has marked so many interventions,” he said.
“Anyone with a basic knowledge of sociology, anthropology, socio-legal studies or criminology would have predicted the transport chaos that Andy Burnham has described – and the street parties that we have seen elsewhere.”
John Apter, national chairman of the Police Federation, said police had difficulty dispersing large crowds that gathered with only limited numbers of officers available.
“You might only have one or two people in a busy high street at 10pm when hundreds and hundreds of people are coming out on to the streets,” he told Today.
“My colleagues will do the best they can to encourage and coerce people to move on but it is really difficult.
“All that you need is a hostile group that turns against those officers and the resources for that city centre are swallowed up dealing with that one incident.”