Angela Rayner calls on UK government to establish 'Minister for Nightlife'

Angela Rayner has called on the government to establish a 'Minister for Nightlife' in the UK.

During her speech at the Night Time Economy Summit in Liverpool on February 12, the Labour MP and former Deputy Prime Minister urged the government to "do better" for nightlife and recognise its "cultural and social" value.

Read this next: New report highlights Asia’s growing role in global nightlife economy

Rayner added that the UK's nightlife venues "command global respect" and "make the UK a cultural and social powerhouse". A recent report from the Night Time Foundation described nightlife as the “most undervalued asset class in culture", estimating that the industry contributes around 5% of the UK's GDP.

"I would support the government in having a named minister with responsibility for the night time economy," Rayner said, "to champion the sector inside government, and ensure that the voices of small and medium businesses are heard loud and clear."

Last month, the government backtracked on its planned end to business rates relief for hospitality businesses, offering pubs and grassroots music venues a 15% discount across the next two years.

However, nightlife venues as a whole were not offered the same discount, a move which the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) CEO Micheal Kill claimed was "supporting one part" of the nightlife industry while "ignoring" the rest.

Read this next: Sadiq Khan's Nightlife Taskforce share 23 recommendations for London's night-time economy

"Other countries have led the way on this," she continues. "Now we should learn from those countries' successes, and give the night time economy — and the hundreds of thousands of businesses — a true champion on a national stage."

Rayner is among several politicians who appeared at the Night Time Economy Summit this week, with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, Mayor of Liverpool Steve Rotheram, and Conservative MP Dame Caroline Dineage also among speakers across the two-day programme.

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on X