Does anything good really happen after 11pm? That’s what ministers are hoping for in proposed changes around licensing reportedly supported by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. It appears that extended hours are being presented as the silver bullet that will save our beleaguered hospitality industry . But would that actually work?

The Government has announced that it’s launching a four week, fast-track review in what’s being presented as the biggest shake-up in the last 20 years to “outdated” licensing laws in England and Wales. Some of the proposals include making it easier for venues to host more live music, removing the need to list licence applications in local papers, and crucially, to have flexibility over their opening hours. All of this is aimed at “cutting red tape” and “boosting fo

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