Businesses in the hospitality and leisure sector have hit out at the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, after he yesterday announced one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises due to Covid.
The money would be handed out by local authorities because “the rise of the Omicron variant means some businesses are likely to struggle over the coming weeks”.
IWC: We are ready to play our part again
Speaking to the announcement, a spokesperson for Isle of Wight council said,
“The Isle of Wight Council welcomes the funding announcements from the treasury.
“The council has a good track record of distributing Covid-19 relief funds to organisations in need, and we are ready to play our part again.”
Sector hits out
Comments from those in the hospitality sector ridiculed the “up to £6,000 grant” on social media as being practically worthless.
Tom Fahey from The Terrace in Yarmouth explained,
Nationally the announcement was described as a “blunt instrument” by a music promoter, who said it would not support the “depth” of his industry.
IWC: Affected businesses do not need to take any action
They went on to say,
“At the moment, affected businesses do not need to take any action.
“We are now setting up the processes for distribution of the money, and there will be further announcements about how this will work.”
Full details of the Chancellor’s announcement can be found on the Government Website.
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