Prime Minister has “switched the lights off” for nightlife with lockdown extension, says NTIA

The Night Time Industries Association has said that Boris Johnson has "switched the lights off" for UK nightlife after he announced that lockdown would be extended to at least July 19 yesterday.

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Michael Kill, CEO of the NTIA, spoke passionately about the decision and the implications that this could have for the future of nightlife, an industry that has already suffered under the pressures of pandemic closure.

“This is a hugely devastating blow for the very industries that have been hardest hit by this pandemic; in a very real sense,” Kill said.

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He added: “The Prime Minister has ‘switched the lights off’ for an entire sector. Many businesses have not survived this pandemic and others are on a financial cliff-edge, unable to operate viably. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have already been lost, a huge pool of creative talent has been swept away, and we have been left to suffer extreme financial hardship.

“The Government must understand the human impact of this decision, not only considering the public health challenges of the virus but also the people within our sector who are suffering terribly and the real health risks that this represents. This is particularly important given the overwhelming confidence in the vaccination rollout, and the ability for our sector to deliver Covid safe and regulated environments.”

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The NTIA have asked the government to provide events and festival insurance cover, an extension of VAT relief and other ways they feel nightlife can be protected after the delay.

Tope Olufemi is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow them on Twitter