00:00Angela Rayner has urged the Labour government to appoint a dedicated minister for the night-time economy
00:05to champion the interests of bars, clubs and hospitality venues nationally.
00:10Speaking at a summit in Liverpool, she outlined multiple pressures facing the sector,
00:15including rising business rates, VAT, minimum wage increases, energy costs and licensing challenges.
00:22I've seen the best of this sector close up.
00:25The venues in this room, the spaces you represent, are extraordinary.
00:31They command global respect. They drive the visitor economy.
00:36They make the UK a cultural and social powerhouse that is envied worldwide.
00:42Rayner argued that the policy should be designed with industry input rather than imposed uniformly,
00:47noting that importance of recognising economic, cultural and social value.
00:52The government responded that it's supporting the sector through measures,
00:56including late payment reforms, faster licensing approvals, red tape reduction
01:01and a £4.3 billion support package to cap large business rate increases.
01:07The real human and business impacts are stark.
01:12As numbers of nightclubs once a haven for our youth have declined in this country by 30% since 2019
01:19and over 75,000 jobs were lost in the sector between 2024 and 2025 alone.
01:28Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith welcomed the acknowledgement of cumulative pressures
01:33but cautioned that past employment legislation may undermine confidence.
01:38We need to do better.
01:40We need to recognise the value of this industry economically, culturally, socially.
01:46We need to design policy with the industry and not for it.
01:51And we need to create an environment, both economic and cultural,
01:55where businesses have the confidence to invest and grow and that communities can thrive
02:01and people can believe in the amazing nightlife that this country has to offer.
02:07Because when the nightlife thrives, we all prosper.
02:12Labour figures have also suggested operational changes in government
02:15and the potential revival of the first Secretary of State role.
02:19Raina called for a ministerial position to ensure small and medium businesses' voices are heard
02:23and policy is tailored.
02:25We rightly celebrate our heritage.
02:28We protect historic buildings.
02:31But cultural value does not only live in bricks and mortar.
02:36Some of our most important cultural movements were born in basements, warehouses, clubs and temporary spaces.
02:44The summit highlighted a need for dialogue, targeted support and regulatory adjustments
02:48to sustain local nightlife and hospitality.
02:51Overall, the proposals aim to balance economic recovery, business viability and policy responsiveness.
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