Councils to decide if pubs can stay open later for England-Mexico World Cup match

Councils to decide if pubs can stay open later for England-Mexico World Cup match One MP said refusing to grant a blanket extension would be ‘the worst decision since the introduction of hydration breaks’ - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Councils will determine if pubs can extend their opening hours for England's upcoming World Cup Round of 16 match against Mexico, which kicks off at 1am on Monday. Local Government Secretary Steve Reed has urged authorities to approve later closing times, allowing fans to watch the entire game. This fixture is not covered by existing 2am extensions for England matches and would run past that time regardless. While the Liberal Democrats called for a blanket extension to licensing hours, Downing Street stated: "it is for local councils to make those decisions." England secured their place against Mexico in the Fifa World Cup after defeating the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2-1 on Wednesday. “The Secretary of State for Housing and Communities has written to councils to encourage them to sign off applications for pubs to extend their hours even further for these late games so that fans can enjoy the football,” a Downing Street spokeswoman said. Pubs will need a temporary event notice to show the match at all, as earlier licensing extensions only apply to matches that kick off between 9pm and 10pm. Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said she had raised industry concerns about not getting approval to show the match. She said: “We remain in close contact with Government about concerns raised by publicans who want to show the match but haven’t got Temporary Event Notices in place. “It would be a crying shame for fans and pubs if our locals weren’t able to host such an important match.” Liberal Democrat Cheltenham MP Max Wilkinson, who called for a blanket extension on Thursday, said refusing to grant one would be “the worst decision since the introduction of hydration breaks”. He earlier told the Commons: “Harry Kane’s heroics last night means that many England fans are looking forward to an early morning or a late night, depending on one’s perspective, on Monday, and this is a good thing. “But pubs risk missing out on a real opportunity to get more money into the till if ministers do not make a blanket extension for licensing hours.” England manager Thomas Tuchel has called for children to stay up late and watch the match. Asked if the Prime Minister backed the call, Downing Street said that “parents will make their own decision on that”. “We want everyone to enjoy the game but kids should be in school on Monday,” Sir Keir Starmer’s spokeswoman said. Sir Keir will face the “same dilemma” as other England fans over whether to stay up, she said. “The PM has his usual packed schedule on Monday, so he’ll be facing the same dilemma as everyone else on whether to stay up. “Win or lose, I think millions of England supporters will be at work on Monday, and the PM will be doing the same.” Skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith earlier said she planned to take a “disco nap” on Sunday afternoon and then stay up late to watch the match. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments