Andy Burnham has confirmed a 20 per cent cut to business rates for pubs, nightclubs and live music venues across England, the latest in a run of policy announcements since he took office as Prime Minister. The cut targets one of the hospitality and entertainment sector's biggest fixed costs, and is being framed by critics as part of a wider pattern of giveaways as Burnham looks to shore up early support in government.

The relief applies specifically to premises such as pubs, clubs and venues staging live music, easing the burden of business rates that operators have long argued are unsustainable. It comes alongside other announcements attributed to the new administration, including a forced review of the early prison release scheme following criticism from PC Andrew Harper's widow, and reports that Number 10 is speeding up plans for a "death tax" on estates to help fund social care, pointing to a period of intense policy activity in the opening phase of Burnham's premiership.