The London Restaurant Industry Does Not Exist Outside of Politics

The scene we love to celebrate does not exist outside of politics

In the last two years:

• The government has proposed to limit “low-skilled migrants” in the U.K., which under its definition, includes restaurant workers. The British Hospitality Association described said plans as “catastrophic.”
• U.K. Hospitality has said that a resultant “shock-drop” in migrant workers will undermine the sector.
• Brexit uncertainty has delayed the introduction of high-level hospitality qualifications.
• Two leading restaurateurs have described increased abuse of their staff outside work.
• The Food and Drink Foundation has told prime minister Boris Johnson that a no deal Brexit will do “mortal damage” to the food and drink sector.
• The FDF has warned that a no deal Brexit will cause food shortages for supermarkets and restaurants alike.
• Michael Gove has lied about those food shortages.
• The government’s own no deal Brexit documents say that “lower income groups will be disproportionately affected” by food price rises. Those are the same groups that government policy has consigned to food banks.
• A shortage of EU labour has left 16 million apples rotting.
• A government that has overseen a near 3000 percent increase in food bank use has repeatedly demonstrated that it has no idea how food banks work.
• That government has ended its election campaign by attacking EU citizens who “treat the U.K. as if it’s part of their own country for too long.” That is to say, working, living, going out to eat and drink. It has spent its nine years in power creating a hostile environment, threatening citizens with deportation, and playing with xenophobia.

And in other news...

• Where to eat when getting out the vote in London’s marginal seats.
• Good tweet: