Angela Rayner Challenges Labour to Appoint Night-Time Economy Minister
Angela Rayner has issued a direct challenge to Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Government, calling for the appointment of a dedicated minister to represent the night-time economy sector. Speaking at a summit in Liverpool, the former deputy prime minister warned that venues face a "triple whammy" of financial pressures that threaten their survival.
A Champion for the Sector
Rayner emphasized the need for the industry to have what she described as a "true champion on the national stage" who could advocate for its interests within government. "We need to do better," the Labour MP declared. "We need to recognise the value of this industry, economically, culturally, socially."
The MP, who served as Sir Keir's deputy until resigning last year following controversy over her property tax affairs, argued that policy should be designed "with the industry and not for it." She specifically endorsed the creation of "a named minister with responsibility for the night-time economy to champion the sector inside Government and ensure that the voices of small and medium businesses are heard loud and clear."
The Triple Whammy of Costs
During a question-and-answer session following her speech, Rayner detailed the multiple financial challenges facing businesses in the sector. "I think we've got to recognise, it's not even a double whammy, it's not even a triple whammy," she explained, pointing to business rates, VAT increases, minimum wage rises, and energy costs as particularly burdensome.
"We've got to start looking at the intersectionality of all these challenges and start relieving some of them," Rayner urged. Her comments come after Chancellor Rachel Reeves reduced pandemic-era business rate discounts for pubs in last year's budget, though a subsequent £300 million support package was announced in January following industry backlash.
Policy Design and Delivery
Rayner argued that Labour needs to accelerate its election promises, stating the party must "put rocket boosters on what we promised at the election and start delivering now." She called for a "more permissive approach to licensing" and emphasized that genuine recovery requires more than rhetorical support.
"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," Rayner observed. "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."
Political Context and Reactions
Rayner's recommendation comes amid broader discussions about government structure following recent controversies, including the Peter Mandelson scandal. Some female Labour parliamentarians have called for Sir Keir to appoint a woman as his de facto deputy, with suggestions to revive the position of first secretary of state.
Responding to Rayner's speech, shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith offered a critical perspective. He suggested she had "finally realised the cumulative impact" of government policies on businesses but added that "these words will ring hollow for many, given she was one of the principal architects of the job-destroying Employment Rights Bill."
Rayner, who previously oversaw Labour's workers' rights package and is widely viewed as a potential successor to Sir Keir, positioned her call as essential for both economic recovery and proper sector representation. The night-time economy minister proposal represents a significant policy recommendation from one of Labour's most prominent figures.
