Pubs have been given permission to stay open until 5am for England’s World Cup clash on Monday. Keir Starmer has laid down an emergency law so fans can watch the Three Lions take on Mexico in boozers across both England and Wales.
The 1am kick-off time means that pubswould have had to have a special permit to open through the night, and the deadline to acquire one had already passed when England beat DR Congo. But in an announcement this afternoon, the outgoing PM confirmed all pubs and bars will be able to stay open until 5am.
Starmer said: “Football might be coming home but we’re making sure fans don’t have to.
“Pubs staying open until the final whistle is good news for supporters and good news for the pubs and venues that bring our communities together. The whole country will be backing the team. Come on England.”
There had been growing calls for blanket licensing laws to be relaxed further so the nation could cheer on Harry Kane and the boys in their locals. The Home Office had already given pubs permission to open late during England’s World Cup knockout matches. But Monday’s round-of-16 match at the Azteca against host nation Mexico falls outside that window because of its 1am kick-off time.
