Government may allow pubs to extend hours for 1am England clash
The UK government is considering allowing pubs to stay open later for England's World Cup match against Mexico, which kicks off at 1am UK time on Monday.
Initially, the government said it would not relax licensing laws further, but BBC News understands that the Prime Minister is now reconsidering. In April, the government already eased rules so England and Scotland fans could watch matches in pubs.
On Thursday, Business Minister Kate Dearden told the House of Commons that opening times would not be extended for the 1am kick-off. She was responding to a question from Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson, who called for a blanket extension. Wilkinson said pubs would miss out on revenue if ministers did not act.
Dearden said Local Government Secretary Steve Reed had urged councils to approve pub applications to stay open until the match ends. "Pubs can stay open an extra two to three hours depending on the kick-off time, so they can still be open when the game finishes," she said. "Regarding Sunday, unfortunately that doesn't apply with the 1am start, but going forward we are absolutely backing our pubs so people can watch and support our lads."
Licensing hours have been extended from 11pm to 1am for matches kicking off between 5pm and 9pm. Additionally, pubs can stay open until 2am for kick-offs after 9pm. Outside these rules, pubs can apply for a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) from their local council. However, applications must be submitted at least five working days in advance, making it too late for pubs to apply on Thursday.
Some establishments had already planned for England's potential progress and obtained event notices. In a video on X, Reed urged councils to approve applications. "There are still some councils that are saying no to the pubs, and my message to those councils is please say yes," he said.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: "We remain in close contact with government about concerns raised by publicans who want to show the match but haven't got TENs in place. It would be a crying shame for fans and pubs if our locals weren't able to host such an important match."
