Children could be sent to pubs if cafes and soft plays shut down, Labour MP warns
Toddlers could be sent to pubs without hospitality support, MPs warn
- The government announced a 15 per cent reduction in business rates for pubs and music venues across England, starting in 2026/27 and then "frozen in real terms" for the following two years.
- Labour MP Stella Creasy criticised the exclusion of vital community spaces like cafes, soft plays, and community centres from the hospitality relief package.
- Creasy warned that the omission of these venues could lead to widespread closures, potentially leaving parents of young children with only pubs as social options.
- Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson defended the targeted approach, saying pubs are “valued differently”, but committed to further engagement on the issue.
- Other Labour MPs, including Jim McMahon and Rachael Maskell, urged the government to broaden the support to the entire hospitality sector, citing widespread pressures.