PUBS are likely to be able to ban customers who haven’t had the Covid vaccine, Boris Johnson hinted today.
The Prime Minister told senior MPs the idea of vaccine passports in pubs “may be up to the landlord” in his biggest suggestion of the scheme yet.
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Speaking during the Liaison Committee this afternoon, Mr Johnson said: “I do think that the basic concept of vaccine certification should not be totally alien to us…”
“I think that’s the kind of thing that may be up to individual publicans, it may be up to the landlord.”
Ministers are currently conducting a review into how vaccine certificates could work, for foreign travel and large events like football stadiums.
And The Sun understands the review is studying how to provide certificates for vaccines or proof of a recent test.
The PM said yesterday: “This is an area where we’re looking at a novelty for our country.
“We haven’t had stuff like this before, we’ve never thought in terms of having something that you have to show to go to a pub or theatre.
“So there are deep and complex issues that we need to explore, ethical issues about what the role is for government in mandating people to have such a thing or, indeed, banning people from doing such a thing.
“There are complex issues we need to work out.”
He added: “We can’t be discriminatory against people who, for whatever reason, can’t have the vaccine – there might be medical reasons why people can’t have the vaccine, or some people may genuinely refuse to have one.
“Now I think that’s a mistake, I think everybody should have a vaccine but we need to thrash all this out.”
But lifting the lid on his latest thinking, he said that some sectors like care homes may be ordered by law to make sure their staff have the jabs, but others sectors like hospitality may be allowed to set their own rules.
He said there was “a hierarchy in mandating something and prohibiting it.”
But today furious pub chiefs hit out at the plan, suggesting they are “very strongly against” such a move.
Greg Mulholland, chairman of the British Pub Confederation, lashed talk of vaccine passports being used in boozers.
He told The Sun: “We were very happy pubs were doing their bit to help with test and trace.
“But for the government to abdicate responsibility and ask pubs to make a moral judgement – it’s just not acceptable.
“Pubs can’t open with any sort of normality until June
“So on top of having to take on extra staff to serve people at tables, the idea pubs can take on staff to act as door staff for vaccine passports is absurd.”
And members of the Covid Recovery Group (CRG) appeared equally unhappy with the plans.
Deputy chairman of the CRG, Steve Baker MP, said the Prime Minister began to tread “a dangerous path when he opened the door to domestic Covid certificates”.
Responding to the hint of vaccine passports in pubs, he said: “First they said we’ll need them to watch the football, and today that it may be papers for the pub.”
He added: “Whether the state legislates for it, recommends it or simply allows it the result will be the same: a two-tier Britain that prevents pregnant women from taking part in society, given that the Government is telling them not to take the vaccine, or one where we turn back the clock and tolerate businesses turning away customers from communities which have shown an unfortunate hesitancy to take up the offer of a vaccine.
“We must not fall into this ghastly trap.”
Government sources confirmed to The Sun that allowing pubs to set the rules was within the scope of the review being led by Michael Gove.
Vaccines or proof of a recent negative test will play a major part of its recommendations.
Mr Gove is due to report back within weeks, but Mr Johnson let slip the highly sensitive nature of his study.
In Israel the lure of pubs and bars has been used to encourage younger people to sign up for the vaccine, with similar plans being studied here.
But the plans are likely to meet fierce resistance from Tory MPs who are suspicious of vaccine passports.
Ministers have repeatedly ruled out the idea in the past, saying vaccines should be voluntary.
Yesterday, ex-Cabinet minister David Davis warned that the use of jab passports could be illegal and discriminatory.
He told the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee: “Younger people were also less likely to have the jab and “some people have ethical or religious objections.”
He added: “There are a variety of good reasons for people not to take a vaccine. I’ve had a vaccine and I think most of the reasons are not ones I would subscribe to.
“But people have that freedom. What this proposal does is, in effect, coerce those people.”
