Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to extend the opening hours of pubs and bars in England and Wales have been branded as “short-sighted” by London locals.

This week the Labour government fast-tracked a campaign to revise “outdated” licensing rules for British pubs and bars.

The Prime Minister, who described pubs as “the beating heart of our communities”, plans to alleviate the struggling pub sector through a loosening in licensing restrictions, allowing pubs and bars to remain open in the later hours.

Speaking with pub employees across the city of London, this decision has been met with noticeable resistance.

“It’s really short-sighted” said Connor Petch, the General Manager (GM) of the Dame Alice Owen (Clerkenwell).

“The reason we’re not making any money is due to ridiculous beer duties,” he said.

As reported by Search London, the average price of a London pint now rests at £6.10.

This is £1.27 more than the national average as reported by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

“People aren’t drinking as much. We have a license until 2am already, but why would we use it?” Petch added.

“You’ll find a lot of operators sit at a similar sentiment. It’s a very stupid idea. A waste of a thing. I don’t want to get home at 2am”.

Bes Nici, the General Manager of Crudough, a pub just down the road from the Dame Alice, had similar gripes.

“It’s pointless. We are busy from 6pm to 8:30pm then it dies down”

The GM highlighted the pubs problems with affordability, stating “buying beer is expensive so we have to sell it expensively”

“A small glass of wine costs £11.50,” he protested.

The issue of affordability is one that continues to plague the UK hospitality sector.

Recorded by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) back in 2024, 50 pubs were reported to be closing each month across England and Wales.

The persistence of British thirst is not lost however.

The BBPA also reported that, in 2024, Britain’s beer and pub sector funnelled over £34.4 billion into the UK economy.

A large portion of this, contributed by two hospitality giants alone.

In the 2023/2024 financial year, both Mitchell’s & Butlers and the notorious J.D. Wetherspoons broke the £2 billion mark.

Akay Mittu, a manager at popular city local The Jamaica Winehouse claims to have seen no change in foot traffic during his two-year tenure.

Charging around £7 a pint, he stated that “people here can afford it”.

Tyler Bolt, a manager at popular pub and restaurant chain Pitcher & Piano, recounts times when customers would come in with company cards and report their drinks as business expenses.

Unaffected by growing inventory costs, centrally located pubs continue to thrive.

Begging the question, has Sir Keir missed boat in his efforts to help the struggling local?