The corona deniers and anti-vaxxers are all over this one today. An Ipsos MORI poll for The Economist asked a number of questions about Covid restrictions going into the future. Respondents are happy to see them remain for the time being, but don’t wish to see them becoming permanent.

What’s stirred up a hornet’s nest, however, is the question about nightclubs and casinos staying closed. 46% were happy to see nightclubs in England staying shut for an extra month after the loosening of restrictions. However, 26% of respondents were comfortable with nightclubs never reopening at all.

This statistic should horrify the night time industries. A lot of jobs exist in this sector, and it’s not just in the clubs. It’s the takeaways that feed them before they head home, it’s the taxis that bring home the worse for wear and so forth. Yet when this many in a poll say they’re happy to see nightclubs effectively disappear, it’s clear that nightclubs have an image problem.

Those of you reading this might think of nightclubs probably have a very positive view of them. But many others have an opposing view. They think nightclubs bring drugs to an area. They bring bad, drunken behaviour and crime with them. And let’s be perfectly honest – this perception is not entirely wrong.

The truth is we’re not in the 1980s anymore. Nightclubs are in the professional arena now, and they can only continue to function with goodwill and support from the public and the authorities. Politicians pay a lot of attention to these polls, so if they see little support for nightclubs, they’re not going to make life easier for them…