Another year, another U-turn. We expect that the Labour government will be forced to climb down on forthcoming increases to the business rates bills faced by pubs in England. This comes after ferocious industry backlash, spearheaded by figures such as Tom Kerridge, who has been out in the media this week drawing attention to the more than 100 per cent increase in costs some of his establishments are facing. Some are pointing to the slow unravelling of Rachel Reeves’s Budget but – perhaps more damaging – is the optics of this: surely nothing mobilises deep England more than coming for our pubs. What impact will this have on Labour’s credibility? And what impact will it have on Rachel Reeves’s headroom?

Oscar Edmondson speaks to Michael Simmons and Tim Shipman.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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