Image source, House of CommonsByBrian Wheeler, Political reporter and Iain Watson, Political correspondentPublished7 January 2026 Labour MPs are calling on Sir Keir Starmer to rethink planned changes to business rates to protect pubs and other hospitality businesses. The pub industry is warning of widespread closures when Covid-era business rate relief comes to an end in April. At Prime Minister's Questions, Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central, called on Sir Keir to urgently review the proposals to help "avert a crisis" on the High Street. The PM said the government was in talks with the industry to see what "what further support and action we can take". In her November Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves scaled back business rate discounts that have been in force since the pandemic from 75% to 40% – and announced that there would be no discount at all from April. The government has offered some relief by reducing the "multiplier" used to calculate business rates.
Published: January 7, 2026 5:41 pm
Source: BBC — Read original