Wetherspoon boss accuses UK government of 'stealth' lockdown

The boss of JD Wetherspoon has accused the government of introducing a “stealth” lockdown in England through its tough new tier system. Tim Martin, the founder and chair of the pub chain, said almost half of his pubs would be forced to remain shut under new rules that come into force when lockdown ends on 2 December. “The company has campaigned for pubs to revert to the rules agreed between the pub industry, civil servants, local authorities and health officials, which were introduced when pubs reopened in July,” Martin said in a statement emailed to media.