John Swinney’s ‘vertical drinking’ chaos shows we need a clear head on rule changes

They will no doubt be talking down the pub about the mess the Scottish Government has made of relaying the new coronavirus rules.

People will be able to stand at a bar without a mask come August 9, but the issue was clouded for the already beleaguered hospitality industry after Deputy First Minister John Swinney put out inaccurate information on national radio. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

You really have got to feel for the now-weary pub landlord and Scotland's frazzled nightclub owners, presumably most who are hanging on by the slimmest of financial threads, when Deputy First Minister John Swinney went on the radio to clarify the latest restrictions that would affect their fragile businesses and the customers within.

Mr Swinney’s attempt to explain the future of vertical drinking – which we now know means standing at the bar – went down like a bad pint and the Scottish Government has been mopping up the mess ever since.

We now know that people will be able to stand at a bar once again from August 9, and not wear a mask, but only because licensed trade lobbyists had the best information, and not our deputy leader as he headed onto national radio.

The new restrictions were much anticipated by the industry, particularly for smaller pubs who rely on regulars, those who make up the familiar fabric of the local, and where social distancing sucked out trade. Instead, pub owners had their heads in their hands once again.

Nightclub owners are also no closer to knowing whether their customers will have to wear a mask after August 9, with the beleaguered industry in Scotland hanging on for another last-minute decision on their futures as similar venues in England and Wales get back to business.

Landlords are rightly calling time on government confusion and demanding clear heads at this most critical time.

A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.