Labour chair claims pub business rates rethink not a U-turn, but ‘sign of confident government’ – UK politics live

Anna Turley says policy change indicates that ministers are ‘listening’ and are ‘actually in touch with people’Good morning. Yesterday it emerged the government is going to significantly revise some of its budget plans with a financial support package to help the pub industry. Pubs say that, without extra help, they will be hammered by extra business rates costs contained in her budget. In her speech to MPs in November, Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, implied she was cutting business rate costs for this sector. She told the Commons:For business rates, I will introduce permanently lower tax rates for over 750,000 retail, hospitality and leisure properties – the lowest tax rates since 1991 … paid for through higher rates on properties worth £500,000 or more, like the warehouses used by online giants.I don’t buy this is a U-turn. This is actually about listening. I think it’s a sign of a government that is actually in touch with people, that is listening to people, and that is responding.I think listening to constituents isn’t being bullied or lobbied – that’s what we’re here to do. Continue reading...