Andy Burnham has unveiled a 20% cut to business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues in England from April, excluding cafes and restaurants. Downing Street estimates an average pub could save about £1,100 a year, a figure some operators call too small to be transformative. The policy is expected to cost around £100 million and will be funded by a review of business tax reliefs, which ministers say could affect areas 'such as vape shops.' Critics, including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and industry figures, say the relief may be insufficient and that finding the promised savings could prove difficult.
Burnham Announces 20% Business Rates Cut For Pubs, Clubs And Live Music Venues — Critics Ask 'Is That It?'
Burnham cuts rates for pubs, clubs and music venues in England by 20% but Badenoch asks: 'Is that it?'
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a 20% reduction in business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues in England, to take effect from April. The measure deliberately excludes cafes and restaurants, a choice that has prompted immediate questions about its scope and impact.
Downing Street estimates a typical pub could save about £1,100 a year under the scheme. Tom Kerridge, chef and pub owner, told the BBC that '£1,000 on yearly revenue doesn't really make a difference,' underscoring concerns from operators that the relief may be too small to alter business fortunes.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch responded bluntly: 'Is that it?'
The government says the policy will cost roughly £100 million and intends to fund it through a review of business tax reliefs, pointing to sectors 'such as vape shops' as examples where savings might be found. Our correspondent Ed Thomas, who has spent 18 months investigating the High Street, warned that locating equivalent savings in practice may be more difficult than ministers suggest.
Context And Wider Package
The business rates cut is one of several measures announced in Burnham's first week as prime minister. Earlier announcements included a £2 bus fare cap in England and a VAT cut on household electricity bills — moves the government frames as targeted support for households and local businesses.
Industry reaction is mixed: some welcome any tax relief for venues hit hard by rising costs and changing consumer habits, while others argue the measure is too narrowly focused and too modest in scale to address long-term pressures on the hospitality and live-music sectors.
What Happens Next: Ministers say the relief will be implemented from April and the Treasury will publish details of the tax-relief review in the coming weeks. Pubs, venues and music industry groups are expected to press for broader or deeper measures to support recovery.
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