Andy Burnham's pledge to cut business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues by 20 per cent has drawn criticism from hospitality figures who say the move is a political gesture that fails to address the industry's deeper problems. The announcement, made on Thursday as part of a rapid run of policy pledges, is intended to help save "cherished local spaces" but has instead prompted accusations that it distracts from calls for more substantial support such as a VAT cut.

Burnham said the rate reduction would benefit around 32,000 businesses, with the typical pub saving roughly £1,100 a year, at a cost of about £100 million annually, to be funded by cutting business rate relief for vape shops and clamping down on online retailers avoiding VAT. Chef and publican Tom Kerridge said the move "doesn't go far enough", while Great British Menu winner Nick Beardshaw dismissed it as "an absolute drop in the ocean", noting it equates to only a 0.4-0.8 per cent reduction in total costs. Other industry figures, including hotelier Steve Perez and Liverpool pub owner Iain Hoskins, echoed the criticism, and the Conservatives pressed Burnham to explain how the wider package of measures—including plans to scrap VAT on electricity bills and reinstate a £2 bus fare cap—would be funded.