OPEN FOR ALL - The Hospitality Movement Telling Boris They Won't Police Vaccine Passports

Publicans and Restaurant owners, who have suffered more than most during lockdowns, are beginning to push back.

The movement against vaccine passports continues to gather momentum. Last week a group of Christian leaders wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister warning against the introduction of “medical apartheid” under a vaccine passport scheme. Now, a new charter, “Open for All“ has been drafted, telling Boris that they will not force customers to show Covid Status Certificates as a condition of entry.

In a letter to the Prime Minister the signatories make clear their opposition to Covid status certification being used in hospitality settings saying: “We will not be forcing our patrons to show us any documentation referring to health status to gain entry,”

Among the signatories are the CEOs of Rekom UK, which runs 42 nightclubs, and Tokyo Industries, which runs clubs, festivals and bars. Others backing the letter include senior figures at venues such as The Hippodrome Casino, Electric Star Pubs, Bocca de Lupo, Proud Cabaret, Brindisa and Burger&Lobster.

Alan Miller, the co-founder of Night Time Industries Association, who organised the letter, said: “The British people have been diligent and remarkable over this last year, and we’ve all waited for so long to get back to normal."

“We were told in January that vaccines were our way out, and that we were on a one-way road to freedom. It is a far cry from freedom if we are put in the position where pubs, clubs, festivals, shows and venues of any kind are forced to demand health papers. We won’t be doing it.”

Julia Hartley-Brewer has urged all hospitality business owners to sign up to the declaration to “[ensure] vaccine passports never happen”.