Listen to this article

Britain does not have a growth problem, but it does have a priorities problem. We talk relentlessly about unlocking productivity and revitalising city centres across the nation, yet we are quietly strangling one of the sectors that already delivers both. The night-time economy employs hundreds of thousands of people, underpins regional identity and keeps urban Britain commercially alive long after the office lights go out. Yet it is still treated as expendable.

As Angela Rayner appears at the Liverpool Night Time Economy Summit, there will be plenty of well intentioned language about vibrancy, culture and opportunity. We have heard it before. What we have not seen is consistent political backing for the businesses and workers who actually keep Britain’s cities moving after dark.

The night-time economy is still spoken about as though it is a lifestyle accessory rather than a serious economic driver, and that framing is part of the problem. Bars, clubs, music venues and late-night hospitality are not fringe activities. They are employers, they are training grounds........

© LBC