Government has to start delivering, Angela Rayner says

Angela Rayner says Sir Keir Starmer’s Government has got to start delivering on election promises.

The former deputy prime minister, speaking at a nighttime economy summit in Liverpool, called for extra help for the sector to help struggling towns and cities.

She suggested the Government reviews business rates and puts “rocket boosters” on its activity in the nighttime sector to invigorate prosperity and improve high streets.

During a question and answer session after her speech, Ms Rayner, forced from Government last year over a tax row involving her properties, said: “And I think that we’ve got to recognise the, it’s not even the double whammy, it’s not even the triple whammy.

“I mean, I talked about the challenges on business rates, the challenges on VAT. The challenges, yes, the minimum wage going up and the living wage and the costs of energy.

“We’ve got to start looking at the intersectionality of all these challenges and start relieving some of them.

“So we’ve talked about a review of business rates.

“We’ve got, as I said in speeches before, to put rocket boosters of what we promised at the election and start delivery.

“Now, we’ve only had a short time in Government, but I really believe that in order to get that hearing, people have to see the urgency of which the sector is facing.”

Ms Rayner said the Government should take a more “permissive approach” to licensing the sector and would support having a minister specifically responsible for the nighttime economy to champion the sector at the national level.

She added: “But I also think our high streets will only be saved by looking at the hospitality sector as well.

“People see the high street and they think it’s decaying. And actually, it’s the hospitality sector and the nighttime economy that is really breathing life back into our communities and our high streets.

“So we’ve really got to try and think of how policies can drive that, and how we can practically assist.”

Also speaking at the event was Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, who also outlined the importance of the nighttime economies to both areas.

Mr Burnham said: “This sector brings the gold dust. It brings the visitors, it brings everything. If we didn’t have what we’ve got, and lucky to have, then our city regions would be nowhere near where we want them to be.”

At the end of the session, Mr Burnham joked about his fellow mayor and co-author, Mr Rotheram.

He said: “We did write a book together, if you didn’t know, called Head North, all about when we left Westminster.

“And I just need to say to you today, the sequel, Head South, is currently on hold.

“But who knows. It might be available at some point in the future.”