Exclusive: Almost half of hospitality businesses will be making more than 60% of staff redundant

  • Video report by ITV News Correspondent Richard Pallot

An exclusive survey for ITV News has revealed almost half of hospitality businesses will be making more than 60% of staff redundant as a result of Rishi Sunak's winter economic rescue plan.

The survey from the Nighttime Industries Association and Sprout CRM also found that over two thirds of businesses surveyed have started making redundancies.

The survey was carried out after the Chancellor announced changes, to look at the impact on a sector that is struggling in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The findings will not come as welcome news for the Chancellor, as 91% of the nighttime businesses surveyed said the current Job Support Scheme will not help them keep any of their employees working in the future.

Owner of the Chapel Nightclub in Salisbury, Amanda Newbery, told ITV News she's had to let people go who have been with her company for more than a decade.

She said: "We lose thousands of pounds every week, just closed, we're losing our team, some of whom have been with us for 15 years."

When asked if she's had to make many redundancies from the nightclub, she said: "We've had 55 on our books, we've currently got seven."

She added that she has had to sell her own home in order to keep her business afloat.

Classical singer Russell Watson told ITV News: "They're not just venues, they're not just halls, they're not just clubs, these are places that are part of the fabric of our communities."

"These are places where we go to enjoy ourselves, to relax, to let ourselves disappear from everything that is going on and all of a sudden it's gone," he added.

Meanwhile Moles Nightclub owner Tom Maddicott said: "It's really, really exciting to have music back in the venue because that's what this venue is all about.

"We probably won't make money tonight, we will probably lose money but we need to start supporting the artists again."

He added: "We've had no income for six months now, over six months, with the current situation we don't know if we can have any income for the next six months either, so it's a drastic situation.

"Opening now isn't really going to save us because of the new curfews, we're still going to be losing money...most venues who do not get help will be out of business by the end of the year."