Landlords brand Starmer’s late night pub plan a ‘waste of time’

[dutchman]

Bosses warn change risk driving up costs as many venues struggle with Labour’s higher taxes



Landlords have branded Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to allow pubs to stay open later a “complete waste of time”, as they said it will not reverse the damage done by higher taxes.

The Prime Minister unveiled his proposal to relax licensing rules on Wednesday, claiming that extended opening hours will allow pubs to boost trading.

However, pub bosses warned that the change risk doing more harm than good by driving up costs, which are already forcing many landlords to scale back opening hours or close altogether.

Clive Watson, chief executive of the City Pub Company, which runs 50 pubs across Britain, said the proposals were “total nonsense”, adding: “It will increase staffing costs and staff will have to travel home late at night.”

Matt Todd, owner of The Wonston Arms in Hampshire, also said trading for longer hours will simply make pubs less profitable and increase financial pressures.

He said: “Allowing pubs to stay open later is a complete waste of time. It won’t drive more business.”

The backlash comes after Sir Keir launched a fast-track review into licensing rules in the hope it would boost sales across Britain’s struggling pub trade.

The Prime Minister said it was aimed at “cutting red tape, boosting footfall and making it easier for venues to put on the kind of events that bring people together”.

Sir Keir said on Thursday: “Pubs and bars are the beating heart of our communities. Under our Plan for Change, we’re backing them to thrive.”

However, pub bosses slammed the proposals, suggesting the shake-up would fail to combat Labour’s Budget tax raid.

Since April, pubs and retailers have been grappling with higher National Insurance contributions and minimum wage costs announced by Rachel Reeves last year.

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has previously suggested that the worker changes cost each UK pub about £14,000 on average.

The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) said changing licensing rules was “not the priority when most of our pubs are having to restrict opening times” in the face of soaring costs.

Steve Alton, chief executive of the BII, said: “Whilst some pubs will benefit, particularly those in the late night sector, for the majority of our members the impact will be limited.”

Sir Tim Martin, the boss of JD Wetherspoon, said Labour was not “squaring up to the main issue”.

He added: “As it stands today, most pubs are reducing their hours or closing completely.”

Pub chiefs said the change in hours also clashes with a wider shift in consumers drinking earlier rather than later.

Phil Thorley, from Thorley Taverns, said: “For a vast majority, people are drinking earlier, not later. Six pm drinking is the new 9pm since Covid.”

Mr Todd said pubs were not interested in staying open later as customers “just don’t walk through the door late in the evenings any more”.

He said: “If Keir Starmer took a couple of evenings out of his working week to swing by a selection of pubs mid to late evening mid week, you’ll see the reality of what is happening, there’s nobody there other than the staff waiting to see customers.”