Major change to pub laws axed after Sunak ‘personally steps in’ to resolve issue

Rishi Sunak has overruled the Home Office (Image: Getty) A major change to pub laws has been axed after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak personally stepped in to prevent it. Pubs in the UK will continue to be able to sell take-away pints to help them boost their takings. Venues were due to lose the right to sales when rules introduced during the Covid-19 lockdown expired next month. Mr Sunak has now stepped in to allow them to carry on, boosting the economy of Britain’s pubs. The new rules will continue beyond September 30 (Image: Getty) The new rules mean bars and pubs will not need to complete a separate application for an extra licence needed for off-site sites. In a statement, a No 10 source told the Sun : “Takeaway pints and al fresco drinks are not just a much-enjoyed addition to pub menus but also a welcome source of income for businesses recovering from the impacts of the pandemic. “The PM will always back British pubs. “He’s listened to the industry and heard them loud and clear — now is not the time to call last orders on takeaway pints and the boost to business that they bring.” The new rules will help boost sales (Image: Getty) Licensing rules were relaxed in July 2020 to allow pubs to sell takeaway pints without the permission of local councils. These rules allowed customers to drink their pints outside where there was a lower likelihood of Covid-19 transmission. The rules were due to end on September 30, 2023, after the Home Office claimed retailers, councils, and residents groups preferred the old rules. In response, the hospitality industry said the return to the old rules would place an extra burden on landlords, Mr Sunak’s intervention to save the British pub has over-ruled the Home Office. Documents suggest between 8,500 and 12,8000 pubs and bars will continue selling takeaway pints.