Gransnet forums

News & politics

Eat Out to Help Out.

(287 Posts)
merlotgran Wed 08-Jul-20 13:45:09

Not sure how successful it's going to be for our age group.

I believe the discount scheme is only available during the month of August, Monday to Wednesday.

A lot of restaurants in our area (East Cambridgeshire) are closed. When they are up and running it will be the school holidays so I'm not sure I will feel safe eating in a restaurant with a lot of children. That's if we can get a booking in the first place.

Quite a few restaurants around here don't even open on a Monday.

How do we know the cut in VAT will be passed on to the customer?

hmm

Grandad1943 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:54:55

There are members of this forum who would obviously rather still engage on tribal politics rather than consider what THEY can carry out in line with the government efforts and in support of the working population of Britain.

JenniferEccles Thu 09-Jul-20 08:52:55

Jane10 ?

Negativity in abundance here from some.

I hope it’s successful. If the small discount tempts enough people out they may realise (as we did with our two restaurant visits recently) that places are doing their utmost to keep customers and staff safe.

It’s all about building customer confidence isn’t it?

But no, lets all concentrate on rubbishing the idea shall we ?

lemongrove Thu 09-Jul-20 08:49:52

grin Jane10 ..... first chuckle of the day.

Grandad1943 yes, in terms of spending it is the most socialist government.It had no choice .....it has to do it but some good will come out of this year I think.I was pleased with Sunak yesterday,I think he will be an excellent Chancellor and even in the future an excellent PM.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:45:28

Jane10

Obviously, there's no point in doing anything at all to help. I don't know why the government bothers as everything they do is absolutely useless if not actually abusive and downright dangerous.
Note : irony alert.

jane I think if you read the post carefully you will be pleased to see that those apparently critical of the summer budget agree with Sunak thrust.

But I would like to have seem more ambition and imagination.

It was billed as a New Deal, which of course has turned out not to be true and therefore disappointing.

Jane10 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:42:04

Obviously, there's no point in doing anything at all to help. I don't know why the government bothers as everything they do is absolutely useless if not actually abusive and downright dangerous.
Note : irony alert.

Furret Thu 09-Jul-20 08:35:44

There’s a lovely little Bistro just around the corner from us, which we often visited prior to lockdown, but when we walked past it on Saturday it was heaving. No social distancing at all.

A few pounds off isn’t tempting.

GagaJo Thu 09-Jul-20 08:34:09

I'm not interested. There are some risks (work, essentials shopping) I have to take. I'm not adding to them unnecessarily. Particularly when so many idiots refuse to wear masks.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:33:20

growstuff

But what can the UK manufacture that can't be manufactured elsewhere more cheaply - and then imported, even with tariffs?

The country needs some strategic vision (not tinkering around with vouchers). The country's strength lie in pharmaceuticals, IT and the knowledge economy. We could invest in energy saving projects. We're already losing financial services.

We need massive investment in the right kind of education and training, which probably won't show any results for years. We're heading for an economy with a handful of owners/rentiers and armies of low paid service workers - back to the nineteenth century. I think we're in an even worse situation than then because we no longer have an empire to sustain us and we've cut ourselves off from our biggest market.

It’s like a communal death wish.

I am, to coin that well known phrase.

Bewildered.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:31:33

“This is the most socialist government in terms of spending“

grandad they had absolutely no choice.

Imo nothing to do with socialism but everything to do with expediency and minimal at that.

No “new deal” this.

growstuff Thu 09-Jul-20 08:28:07

But what can the UK manufacture that can't be manufactured elsewhere more cheaply - and then imported, even with tariffs?

The country needs some strategic vision (not tinkering around with vouchers). The country's strength lie in pharmaceuticals, IT and the knowledge economy. We could invest in energy saving projects. We're already losing financial services.

We need massive investment in the right kind of education and training, which probably won't show any results for years. We're heading for an economy with a handful of owners/rentiers and armies of low paid service workers - back to the nineteenth century. I think we're in an even worse situation than then because we no longer have an empire to sustain us and we've cut ourselves off from our biggest market.

FindingNemo15 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:26:18

This will apply to 13 days in August and as someone has already said some restaurants do not open on a Monday which could leave 8 days to eat out!

Grandad1943 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:24:56

growstuff in regard to your post @08:12 today, Weatherspoons and other similar large chain pub-restuarants employ a large amount of people. That work may not be top employment but it is never the less work for very many.

It is for those who wish to detract from what this government is trying to carry out to come forward with alternative proposals that we can all judge upon.

This is the most socialist government in terms of spending that Britain has possessed since the Labour Party government of 1945.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:19:33

kittylester

I'm concerned that we are going back to a service based economy when there is the opportunity to encourage manufacturing. We need to be less reliant on imports.

I agree

kittylester Thu 09-Jul-20 08:17:58

I'm concerned that we are going back to a service based economy when there is the opportunity to encourage manufacturing. We need to be less reliant on imports.

lemongrove Thu 09-Jul-20 08:17:57

Rosalyn69

I think I’d be prepared to give it a go.

Me too, in good local places that we know well.Any money off is a bonus isn’t it, and customers will be much needed on Mondays to Wednesdays by the owners.?

Guineagirl Thu 09-Jul-20 08:16:03

Same as you NotTooOld.

I used to got to a well known coffee shop to sit in before lockdown but seem to have got out the habit and don’t think I’ll be sitting in again when it does open to sit in. It’s funny how habits I created I don’t think I will re do.

I seem to just food shop and petrol, I’ve been getting a decent coffee at the petrol garage when getting fuel.

More than happy to go somewhere remote and cycle now we can travel,

Whitewavemark2 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:15:31

The thrust of Sunak measures is right, but he woefully lacks ambition and imagination.

Much, much more is needed to kick start our rconomy and we haven’t seen the worst of it yet.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:13:29

In Spain eating al fresco is normal. Aerosol is dissipated in fresh air but not in confined spaces.
Given the weather in the U.K. it is very hit and miss particularly evenings when it can get very drafty.

growstuff Thu 09-Jul-20 08:12:06

Grandad1943

growstuff

In what way? What Sunak has done is tokenistic. £1000 won't encourage anybody to retain workers. It will go to businesses which would have retained staff anyway.

What Sunak is doing is to create an environment in which people will spend. It is without a doubt little more economically than a gesture, but it is an important gesture in the message that it sends.

It will be for the population of this country and others to pick up on those gestures and spend to avoid economic disaster, and that will be to the great benefit of all.

No, it won't. Try reading up what some of the serious economists are saying. Johnson was prattling in about a New Deal. This falls woefully short. All it will do is put a few pounds into the owners of places like Weatherspoons.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:11:19

I’m not going into a restaurant until the aerosol issue is sorted out.

Getting £10 off isn’t worth anyone’s health.

growstuff Thu 09-Jul-20 08:10:13

Urmstongran

I agree Grandad1943. The Spanish are eating out! It’s time for those in the U.K. to do similar. The economy needs punters! So many ‘glass half empty’ posters on here.
?

Nope, not in my case. I'm not half glass full. In fact, I do remarkably well to stay smiling. It's a token and will do nothing except keep a few half-cut pensioners happy.

Grandad1943 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:09:04

growstuff

In what way? What Sunak has done is tokenistic. £1000 won't encourage anybody to retain workers. It will go to businesses which would have retained staff anyway.

What Sunak is doing is to create an environment in which people will spend. It is without a doubt little more economically than a gesture, but it is an important gesture in the message that it sends.

It will be for the population of this country and others to pick up on those gestures and spend to avoid economic disaster, and that will be to the great benefit of all.

Urmstongran Thu 09-Jul-20 07:58:46

I agree Grandad1943. The Spanish are eating out! It’s time for those in the U.K. to do similar. The economy needs punters! So many ‘glass half empty’ posters on here.
?

growstuff Thu 09-Jul-20 07:56:17

In what way? What Sunak has done is tokenistic. £1000 won't encourage anybody to retain workers. It will go to businesses which would have retained staff anyway.

Grandad1943 Thu 09-Jul-20 07:52:27

Whatever the problems the government is right in trying to get Britain's economy working again. The longer people are furloughed the more likely it becomes that they will never return to their employment.

The whole of the United Kingdom and the world faces a deep recession or even an economic depression to the extent not seen since the late nineteen twenties and thirties. In that, those of us who are able should do all we can to try and avoid that situation coming about by spending what we can afford to spend.

The alternative is to witness upheaval and political disorder to the extent of the nineteen-thirties and we all know what that situation brought about.

In this matter, the government is absolutely correct.