Your future pub night out under Labour? No smoking in beer gardens, pricier booze…and don't forget to drink up before earlier last orders

Pubgoers and landlords fear Labour ministers are serving them a toxic cocktail of new measures which could curb night out and send many more boozers to the wall.

An expansion of the smoking ban to cover areas outside pubs – including beer gardens – has already been announced as under consideration in a new public health drive by Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

There are also concerns that Chancellor Rachel Reeves will raise alcohol duty – already due to rise next February – in next month’s Budget, which would likely be passed on to punters in hikes to the price of a pint.

And health minister Andrew Gwynne used this week’s Labour Party conference in Liverpool to suggest new limits on opening hours, which one landlady today told MailOnline would be a ‘death sentence’ for the trade.

An estimated 50 pubs are already closing across the UK each month, amid other pressures such as soaring energy bills.

There are also concerns that the existing business rates relief of 75 per cent will not be extended when due to expire in February.

And there will also be new increased fees that month to dispose of packaging such as bottles, which the British Beer and Pub Association says will add an extra £200million in annual costs.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who has often spoken of his favourite local pubs in north London’s Kentish Town, was among senior figures quick this week to downplay suggestions of new restrictions on opening hours.

But senior industry figures say even the mere suggestion from a government minister feeds into an atmosphere of looming threats and plunging confidence.  

Speaking at this week’s Labour conference, health minister Mr Gwynne said: ‘These are discussions that we have got to have – even if it’s just about tightening up on some of the hours of operation, particularly where there are concerns that people are drinking too much. 

‘Alcohol harm is one of the key areas – the availability of alcohol, the harms that overdrinking does, domestic violence, the licensing laws.

‘Actually there is a big win for the Home Office because a lot of domestic violence they have to deal with is as a direct consequence of alcohol.’

Pauline Forster, landlady of the 200-year-old George Tavern in Stepney, east London, fears the mooted reforms could prove a ‘death sentence’ for the nation’s pubs.

A recent report showed 50 pubs were closing each week across the country and she fears the combination of new crackdowns will sound the death knell for many more.

Publicans are hoping that Sir Keir, see here at the Brewdog Pub and Brewery in the City of London in July 2020, provides some help for their beleaguered sector

She told MailOnline: ‘Limiting opening times would be a total death sentence. No smoking in the garden, messing around with opening times and more tax on beer – we will lose all our pubs.’

It was revealed last month that the government is planning an outdoor smoking ban that would bar Britons from lighting up in pub gardens, near football grounds and outside nightclubs. 

New laws could also include small parks, outdoor restaurants and shisha bars, as well as areas outside hospitals and football grounds.

The proposals have prompted accusations of ‘nanny state’ politics and warnings Britain’s already-beleaguered hospitality sector will suffer.

Ms Forster said today: ‘Banning smoking outside pubs is just ridiculous – when I first heard the news, I couldn’t believe it was true. It’s going to be disastrous for places.

‘It’s just forcing people to stay at home, drink at home. Okay, smoking might not be good, but breathing in fumes on the roads isn’t good and we don’t ban cars.’

She says the pub trade feels increasingly ‘demonised’ – while also used as a ‘money-maker’ by the government with rising alcohol duty charges.

Ms Forster, who bought the George Tavern in 2003, said: ‘The social aspect is one of the most important things about pubs – that really helps people.

‘And pubs are part of our culture – they’ve been here for hundreds and hundreds of years. But it feels like we keep being blamed for everything.

Pauline Forster, landlady of Stepney Green’s The George Tavern, fears that the looming expansion of the smoking ban as well as rising alcohol duties put many more pubs at risk

The George Tavern, in Stepney in east London, hosts live gigs but landlady Pauline Forster fears that increasing costs for pubs will force many to shut and harm grass-roots music

‘We get demonised by the authorities yet they’re also using as for money-making, putting up the taxes.’

Her pub regularly puts on live music shows, featuring famous names such as Amy Winehouse and Nick Cave as well as smaller and upcoming acts.

But she fears that rising costs and pressures on pubs will damage Britain’s music industry by forcing out of business potential venues such as hers.

Ms Forster added: ‘Putting on music nights is expensive enough already even before all the other rising costs. There’s going to be a negative effect on grass-roots music.’ 

She also described how mounting energy bills were adding risk, saying: ‘We pay £36,000 a year, to keep the beer cold and the room warm – it’s too much.’ 

MailOnline recently told how 1,110 bars and clubs across London have shut since Covid and many more owners say they are hampered by curtailed drinking hours, threats from housing developers and rising costs.

Office for National Statistics figures showed the nationwide average for a pint of lager leapt by 10.8 per cent in the 12 months to last December – from £4.24 to £4.70 and the British Beer and Pub Association says it is now £4.80 – and £5.69 across London.

Draught bitter was up by 9.1 per cent, hitting £3.93 rather than the previous £3.60 – while experts have warned pints in London could even rise to £14 next year.

But Londoners are finding themselves paying far more, with punters relating tales of being charged as much as £8.80 per pint at some bars this summer.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting is overseeing government plans to crack down on smoking

It was revealed last month that the government is planning an outdoor smoking ban that would bar Britons from lighting up in pub gardens, near football grounds and outside nightclubs

Reports this week suggested that the Chancellor has been presented with forecasts which show a raise in alcohol duty could raise an extra £800million next year.

However, official figures show that the last time the tax was raised in 2023 tax takings to plummet by a £1.3billion as Brits enjoyed their pints at home instead.

Alcohol duty was frozen for nearly three years between 2020 and 2023 until Conservative then-Chancellor Jeremy Hunt increased the tax once again.

Figures show between September 2023 and August 2024 alcohol duty was down to £11.8billion from £13.1billion during the same period the year before that.

The British Beer and Pub Association’s strategy and policy director Andy Tighe highlighted how the average price of a pint has gone up by 85p in the past two years – having previously taken a whole decade to increase by the same amount.

Existing duties mean publicans make just 12p for the sale of each pint and many are increasingly struggling to break even, he added.

Mr Tighe told MailOnline: ‘Many just can’t afford to pass on any duty increases and raise prices for fear they won’t be able to keep their customers still left.’

He said of the government’s mooted new moves including the extended smoking ban and the talk of restricting hours: ‘It all feeds into a loss of confidence to invest in the sector.

‘For some pubs which specialise in food or are family-friendly, the smoking ban may not make much difference but an awful lot of places are still local community businesses where people will like to go for a cigarette outside.

Sir Keir Starmer is pictured here with now-Commons leader Lucy Powell during a visit to the Brewdog Pub and Brewery in the City of London in July 2020 when opposition leader

The George Tavern’s landlady Pauline Forster said: ‘We get demonised by the authorities yet they’re also using as for money-making, putting up the taxes’

‘And many of this country’s pubs invested heavily in their outdoor areas because they had to during the pandemic restrictions.’

The current business rates relief is worth an average £12,000 to pubs, though the BBPA says some publicans face potential losses of up to £42,000 is the rate is not extended. 

Meanwhile, Night Time Industries Association chief executive expects many more pubs to pull down the shutters for good in the New Year unless Ms Reeves provides some help in next month’s Budget.

He told MailOnline: ‘There’s a lot of uncertainty being felt at the moment, from what we’re seeing from the government.

‘Everyone is focused on the Budget and what happens to alcohol duty, business rates relief.

‘With this government making public health such a focus, they’re going to tax alcohol more – that’s the way they’ll target things.

‘If there isn’t anything to help in the Budget – or even help stabilise things for the industry – then I think a lot of venues will be shuttering in January and February.’ 

A Department for Health spokesman said this week: ‘It is categorically untrue that the Government is considering changing alcohol licensing hours.’

Alcohol duty was frozen between 2020 and 2023 before an increase was announced by Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt – seen in The Keep pub in Guildford, Surrey, in July 2019

Night Time Industries Association chief executive Michael Kill (pictured) fears many more pubs will announce their closures in the New Year unless given help in the upcoming Budget

And senior Labour figure Pat McFadden also insisted there were no plans to change pub licensing rules to force them to shut early.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday: ‘We’ve got a day left of the conference and if that’s on the agenda, I’m going to table an emergency resolution myself in order to make sure it doesn’t happen.

‘I think we’ve been clear about that overnight, the pub’s a great part of the British tradition and we’ve got no plans to change the opening hours in that way.’

The Treasury has refused to comment on speculation about potential tax changes ahead of the Budget which is scheduled for October 30.