‘We need to do better’
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has called on PM Sir Keir Starmer to appoint a dedicated ‘nighttime economy minister’ in Government.
Ms Rayner argued for the creation of the role ‘to champion the sector inside Government and ensure that the voices of small and medium businesses are heard loud and clear’, adding that ‘we need to do better’ in recognising the value of the industry.
The Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, speaking at an industry event in Liverpool on Thursday, said: “These places are part of our national story, and they deserve protection, recognition and support, and that is why I would support the Government in having a named minister with responsibility for the nighttime economy to champion the sector inside Government and ensure that the voices of small and medium businesses are heard loud and clear.”
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She said other countries ‘have led the way on this’ and the UK should give its nighttime economy and its hundreds of thousands of businesses a ‘true champion on the national stage’.
“I see the best of this sector close up, the venues in this room, the spaces you represent are extraordinary,” Ms Rayner said. “They command global respect. They drive the visitor economy. They make the UK a cultural and social powerhouse that is envied worldwide.”
Ms Rayner said the Government must listen to the struggling hospitality sector and recognise its ‘value not just in rhetoric, but in policy’.
Speaking at Liverpool’s Night Time Economy Summit, she added: “If we’re serious about recovery, then we must fuel the recovery of them (businesses). That means recognising the value not just in rhetoric, but in policy. And this is where we must be candid.
“There is, without doubt, a clear divide between policy that truly understands the night time economy and policy that simply applies a one-size-fits-all approach. Too often, policy is done to this sector, not with it. And I recognise clearly and openly that more needs to be done to engage the industry directly and consistently and respectfully, to listen, to co-design, to recognise expertise where it exists.
“Because confidence in politics matters. Businesses need to believe that they will be treated fairly, that the rules won’t shift without warning, that the long-standing structural issues will finally be addressed, not deferred again.”