Ministers are reportedly pushing for gyms, hairdressers and beauty salons to reopen immediately after the lockdown in England ends on December 2.

Conservative MPs are said to have warned the Treasury not to dismiss the beauty industry and gyms as an ‘afterthought’.

Thousands of businesses across England are desperate to reopen their doors and resume trading after being ordered to close for a second national lockdown, in what was dubbed a ‘nightmare before Christmas’.

‘Businesses such as gyms, beauty salons are dying to open and have made themselves Covid safe,’ a source told the Mail on Sunday.

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‘People want to get their nails done before Christmas – it’s a huge season for these businesses.’

Boris Johnson is reportedly set to give the nation a festive boost by scrapping the 10pm pub and restaurant curfew when the lockdown ends.

Last orders will still be called at 10pm but Brits will have until 11pm to finish their food and drinks.

Most shops are also expected to reopen again, as both the Prime Minister and Chancellor Rishi Sunak stress the importance of a ‘functioning economy’. An insider reportedly said: ‘We’ve got to get the economy back.’

Mr Johnson is expected to confirm the measures in the House of Commons tomorrow, and unveil his ‘winter Covid plan’, detailing how people can spend Christmas.

This will also include a revised tier system with harsher controls in place. The new tier three will look ‘a lot tighter’, with more areas set to enter higher brackets.  

But the PM faces a backbench rebellion over the strengthened tier rules, with Conservatives from the coronavirus recovery group (CRG) demanding a full analysis of costs and benefits.

They said in a letter, backed by 70 MPs, that they could not support the measures unless the Government could prove they will ‘have an impact on slowing the transmission of Covid and will save more lives than they cost.’

The Chancellor this morning warned ‘Christmas is not going to be normal this year’ – but insisted the localised tiered system is a ‘far better way’ to tackle coronavirus.

‘That said, the Prime Minister and everyone else, we’re looking at ways to see how families can spend some time with each other over (the) Christmas period,’ he added.

Ministers are expected to reveal which tier each area will be placed into on Thursday.

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