Nanny-state Labour can’t seem get enough of cracking down on the joys of life, all in the name of knowing what’s best for us. Reports now say Starmer is thinking of closing pubs early in order to avoid “harmful drinking”. Though in reality it will just cause harm to the hospitality sector, with pubs inevitably forced to shut up shop completely…

While the Department for Health says “This is categorically untrue,” Andrew Gwynne, the public health minister, said the Government was considering “tightening up the hours of operation” of bars and pubs. It’s just another U-turn from Labour. Before the election, they promised to do everything they could to “support pubs”. In their manifesto, they even rolled out a flashy “five-point plan” to stop closures and encourage pub ownership. Starmer himself was dropping hints about an alcohol duty freeze all in the aim of helping out the local boozers. Though with these new restrictions on the table, any chance of that support seems to have gone flat. A reminder of what our Chancellor Reeves once said (this June):

“Brits love our locals. Let’s back our landlords to keep our pubs going. We want to save the British pub because I know what an important institution they are in so many communities.”

This latest move will leave a bitter taste in Brits’ mouths…