Eat Out to Help Out and Back to Work Monday

By Tim Le Couilliard, Newgate Public Affairs

The economy has been a grave concern since the outbreak of Covid-19; even more so since lockdown measures were implemented. We are now beginning to see the unlocking of the UK, and whilst the restrictions were relatively easy to implement in the first place, returning to “normal” is proving to be tough. In an attempt to accelerate this, both the Chancellor and the Prime Minister have launched two new campaigns to get the UK economy working again. 

Rishi Sunak today opened the hotly anticipated “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme, offering discounts on weekday dining out, with 50% of the cost of food being picked up by the taxpayer, up to £10-per-head per meal. Roughly 72,000 participating restaurants will for the next month be serving their menus half-price on everything eaten in the restaurant Monday through to Wednesday. The measures have drawn criticism, however, with fears that the days not included in the scheme will see a significant drop off in bookings and revenue – with only 13 days of the month actually covered. Also, the irony has not been lost on people that the scheme has coincided with the launching of the Government’s new healthy eating strategy, so now fast food is even cheaper. Still, it may well have the desired effect and get people out and about and spending.

Boris Johnson, not wanting to be outdone by his popular deputy, has dubbed today “Back to Work Monday” in his attempt to encourage workers back to offices and workplaces. As of today, the Government is dropping the advice for workers to stay at home if they are able to, in favour of encouraging workplaces to be busier. Employers are now able to ask staff to return, as long as workplaces have been deemed Covid-secure. Whether the Prime Minister’s rhetoric proves to be as popular as the Chancellor’s give-away remains to be seen – which, incidentally, works well as a metaphor to the Government’s whole response to the virus. Judging by the photos and anecdotal reports from city centres, the Government still has a way to go to encourage workers back to work, but it is still early days.

Of course, both these measures are key to encouraging a return for the economy but come amidst a backdrop of concerns of a second wave – the start of which, by Johnson’s own admission, has begun to take place across Europe. Closer to home, there are some cities in the UK currently under local lockdowns, Eid celebrations this weekend were muted, and the public is still greatly concerned about the virus.