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Jon Sopel joins Aasmah Mir to react as Kemi Badenoch pours cold water on Burnham's first policies. Downing Street has announced that Business rates will be cut by 20 per cent for pubs, clubs and live music venues across England from April next year. The Conservative leader said the lack of business experience in the Prime Minister’s new Cabinet was “terrifying”, in a speech in central London squarely focused on Mr Burnham’s first week in the job. Listen to the full show on the all-new LBC App: https://app.af.lbc.co.uk/btnc/thenewlbcapp #jonsopel #andyburnham #ukpolitics #kemibadenoch #tax #economy #business #LBC LBC is the home of live debate around news and current affairs in the UK. Join in the conversation and listen at https://www.lbc.co.uk/ Sign up to LBC’s weekly newsletter here: https://l-bc.co/signup
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0:00
Kemi Badenoch says the Prime Minister's latest cost of living announcement isn't good enough
0:05
Our new Prime Minister only wants to cut business rates by 20
0:09
and only for clubs, pubs and music venues. And he hasn't even found the money to pay for it
0:16
Look, I like to have a good time as much as the next person, but surely he can do better than that
0:21
Kemi Badenoch has accused Andy Branham of lacking ambition. Ministers say the money to fund this will be found by reviewing tax relief on businesses like vape shops
0:33
Let's speak to John Sopel, who is co-host of Global's podcast, The News Agents
0:38
I think Andy Burnham has been saying today that the cavalry is coming as far as pubs are concerned
0:43
We spoke to a pub owner. She will be very happy to see the cavalry coming over the hill
0:49
But it's a difficult one, this, isn't it? because, again, the numbers involved
0:53
in terms of the impact it will have on pubs, it's not that much
0:59
But then it becomes an argument about, where is this money coming from? And is it going to the right people
1:04
And is it enough? So it's a difficult one to sell, really
1:09
I don't know. Isn't it a case that you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't? Exactly, yes
1:12
If Andy Burnham came out and said, right, we're going to, no more taxes for pubs
1:17
no more taxes for clubs or bars. and everyone's going to say, well, hang on, where's all that money going to come from
1:23
What are you going to do about it? There needs to be a general election if you're going to come up with radical proposals like this
1:28
To be honest, I think that Kenny Badenock is having a really good run of things at the moment. I thought it was pretty thin gruel, the attack on Burnham for doing something
1:39
You know, there are other times when it may look small, but if it's relevant to people's lives about, you know, maximum two pound on a bus fare
1:46
or, you know, a bit of help for, you know, pubs and clubs when they feel they've been under the cosh
1:51
or whatever it happens to be, a bit of relief on your electricity bill. I wouldn't be too dismissive of it and just saying
1:57
oh, well, it's pathetic, it lacks ambition. Because I think that actually it's connecting
2:01
with what an awful lot of people are thinking and wanting. Is it grandiose? No
2:07
Do people want grandiose or trust grandiose when politicians say, I've got this amazing new idea
2:13
They probably don't. And so I think that maybe a little bit of kitchen sink politics about, you know, pounding your pocket to go back to a Harold Wilson phrase, it's probably not a stupid thing to do
2:25
How does this differ to Keir Starmer's first four days in power
2:30
Well, Keir Starmer's first four days, I mean, the first days of the Starmer government looked
2:36
all right for a little while. And then came all the stories about whether someone had bought his
2:40
suits for him and his glasses and whether Rachel Reeves had a dress he's paid for and whether Keir
2:46
Starmer was saying in some fancy pants flat that didn't belong to him while his kids did exams
2:50
And it kind of the summer was totally dominated by an agenda that was really unfavorable for the
2:57
government and here you have the government clearly having planned a good deal with daily
3:05
announcements and dominating the news agenda and so you've got kemi badenok reacting to what is
3:12
happening is it ambitious enough no it's not ambitious enough well what else is she going to
3:16
say um and so i think that actually so far this government has been pretty smart in the way that is trying to set the terms of debate If it wants the cost of living to be the central subject that people focus on
3:31
well, it's achieving that. I mean, you know, you can see the argument is, is it enough
3:35
Should the government be doing more? But this is exactly where the government wants the debate to be
3:41
They're filling a vacuum. They're kind of, what's the word, filling the space before anyone else does, I suppose you could say
3:49
And there'll be plenty of other people who want to fill the space for them and with, you know, stories that are tearing Andy Burnham down or whatever or, you know, attacking this government
3:58
And at the moment, you'd have to say, look, it's very, very early days. And I think we've kind of got used to things happening at warp speed and that we can't be patient for five minutes
4:08
This is a government that is three days old. What are we expecting to have happened
4:13
You're not going to transform British industry, the productivity crisis, and economic growth in three days
4:20
You know, let's wait until we get to a budget. But what Andy Burnham is doing, I mean, the huge mistake that Starmer made
4:26
when he became Prime Minister, he waited months and months and months before having the big fiscal event, the budget
4:32
And that just led to a tonne of speculation about some of the grim things they were going to do
4:37
And it became a self-fulfilling prophecy that the economy almost contracted because people had so little confidence
4:42
having read some of the horror stories around. Andy Burnham is determined not to make that mistake
4:48
Can I just say one thing, though, because you are right that people need to have patience. However, and you said, oh, this is three days
4:54
but it's how many prime ministers over a very, very short period of time? And the electorate, you can kind of understand
5:00
why sometimes they get a little bit antsy because they're like, what, what, what, you know
5:04
you've, you've kind of put us in this, you know, we've been in this psychodrama
5:08
inhabited the psychodrama for, you know, four to five years now. we've been up, we've been down, we've been round the hill
5:14
we've had this policy, someone's moved on, we've had another policy in a way I can kind of understand
5:20
because also John, at the same time, and you'll know this people are really, really, really struggling
5:24
they're really struggling with just their day-to-day costs But that is why I think that what Andy Burnham is doing
5:28
is probably on the money it's probably politically very astute to be focusing on a number of small measures
5:36
that might make, you know if you're a multi-millionaire it's not going to make a lot of difference to your life
5:41
But if you are struggling to make ends meet, then it probably will make a difference
5:45
And so I don't think it's kind of, you know, politically inept to be doing this
5:49
I think it's probably rather astute the way they're doing it. You know, what you, and probably wisely not raising expectations too much
5:59
The other thing I would observe, and just looking at some of the polling data, and it's very early yet, and there'll be a lot of polls which will contradict it
6:06
It feels like we're a bit back to two-party politics again. It feels like we're a bit back to Labour and Conservative
6:12
Who'd have thought that? You know, it seems that reports of the death of two-party politics in Britain
6:16
might be greatly exaggerated. As, you know, Andy Burnham is getting net favourable approval ratings
6:23
So, too, can we beading up? And you can see a slight reassertion taking place
6:28
of a familiar battle between Labour and Conservative. Who'd have thought it? How retro
6:33
Let's speak to Jenny, who's in Horsham. Hi, Jenny. What would you like to say? Hello good to talk to you I started the week so positively hoping Oh my goodness And since I heard about this this morning I cannot believe the minister speaking to NIST this morning actually said that they were giving the rebate to pubs and taking it away from quote anti businesses such as vape shops
7:09
And from what I could hear, she actually said that without laughing
7:13
Now, how can anyone argue that a pub is less antisocial than a vape shop
7:20
That's factually just incorrect. And I think giving away money in this way, as much as I feel I run a business
7:29
of course businesses are struggling, but why aren't we giving money to the people
7:34
that are really struggling to pay their bills and put food on the table
7:38
this coupled with the ridiculous cutting VAT on fuel whilst as a principal I'm going to save about
7:47
250 to 300 pounds a year because my house is big and my electricity bills are higher it's ridiculous
7:56
and that on top of the money that they're giving away every time it comes on the radio
8:02
to people who can afford to go to theme parks. What are they doing
8:06
It's populist, ridiculous, giving away our money, our money, to people that don't need it
8:15
So, Jenny, a couple of things. As you say, it's only been four days, I think
8:20
No, no, it's fine. You've had your say and you're very welcome to, but I'll just say a couple of things, OK
8:25
First of all, it's been four days and we can't expect everyone to have got what they want
8:30
they have said that it looks like they're going to announce some kind of quite small, quite minor
8:36
but important policy every day just to signal to people that they want to do something
8:43
they're going to do something, they're not going to be slow about it. Obviously, there'll be a budget and then, you know, the bigger stuff
8:49
which takes a bit longer than four days, doesn't it, will hopefully be included in that
8:54
OK, and the other thing about social harms and vape shops, You are, of course, right that vape shops sell vapes that young children, actually, we know are able to buy these when they shouldn't be able to
9:08
There is nicotine in them. OK, we understand that. Let's park that. OK, pubs
9:13
Yes, they sell alcohol. Alcohol can be a social harm. However, a pub, I think, is at its best a part of the community, is it not
9:24
Where there's local employment, there are people who are lonely, can get together
9:30
I mean, it's lots of things. I think it is a bit different to a vape shop
9:34
Oh, and of course it's different. And of course the community aspirations are wonderful if we were not in the position
9:42
This would be great if we weren't in the position that we're in as a country. where people can't put..
9:47
Who's worrying about not being able to afford to go to the pub
9:51
and to eat a meal in the pub, even a basic meal
9:55
which is... And I appreciate your speaker spoke so well. I felt for her as a business owner, everybody's struggling
10:05
but that is another league. I concerned about the people at the moment that are trying to cover their basics their heat their light their food And we all spend money differently But come on that my main disappointment
10:24
Everybody's looking for something for themselves. I'm not saying that. I think as a society, given the times that we're in, I'm so disappointed
10:34
Because surely, you know, being there for the pub, Why not give all businesses, because, you know, there's several businesses that make up our communities
10:46
If you're going to give a rate rebate, and the rates are ridiculous for businesses at the moment, give it to all businesses
10:54
How can you single, it's just the wrong way to go. Surely anyone can see that
11:00
Okay, Jenny. And you're obviously doing it for a reason. Jenny, I would say to you, don't be too disappointed because it is only day four
11:06
and day four in any new government is not long enough. I think you're going to have to give it a couple of months
11:12
Are you going to be able to do that? Well, I'm forever the optimist, as well
11:19
Good, I'm glad to hear it. We have to be. We do have to be. Jenny, thank you very much
11:23
You make a point that a couple of other people are making. Michael, who is in Sunderland
11:29
Hi, Michael. Hi there. I've just listened to the debate there about the licensee woman
11:34
I can just speak to my experience. Yesterday I went out, me, my son and my two grandchildren, and they charged £4.80 for a pint of Coke in a pub
11:45
So anyway, the bill came to me just under £23. I appreciate it. I'm in the northeast, and I'll pint up here at £6.50, where you might be paying £8, £9, £10 or whatever you pay down in London or other places
11:55
But especially when the kids are off, we popped in because we're at the beach. We went into a restaurant
12:00
We went to try to get a boss, a gas boat pub
12:04
Right? And said, oh, we'll get the menus. and when the drinks come, I thought, because I was paying
12:08
I said, I'm not paying anymore. I said, I've just paid nearly £23 for four drinks
12:12
£4.50 for a pint of Coke. Now, I used to be in the pub gym
12:16
they get about 80 to 90 pints out of that syrup because most of it is just soda mixed in
12:23
And the pennies to buy, them cartons of Coke syrup. So they draw that themselves
12:29
But Michael, they say, and this is kind of cyclical in a way
12:33
because they say we've got to charge more because all the stuff that we use in our pubs
12:40
has become more expensive. And then you say you don't want to go there anymore
12:44
And then they say no one's coming in. We're going to have to put our prices up even more
12:48
No, you don't. I used to be in the pub, Jim, right? And the best way is having footfall, right
12:53
I appreciate, I mean, my gas bill was £1,000 a week because of having a restaurant and stuff
13:00
So I know the expenses, right? The councils don't help by charging for, like, no payment licences
13:06
And it was £90, I think, at my time. Now the £300, £400, £500, depending
13:11
So the councils don't help you by getting people to come to the city centre
13:15
because my bar was a city centre bar. But what I did was I kept my prices that low, right
13:21
making 30, 40 or 50 pence on a pound, right, and I was selling thousands of gallons, litres of beer
13:30
because the brewery couldn't believe how much I was selling of bottles
13:34
So it's about footfall. I'd rather have 1,000 customers and make 50 pence off them
13:39
than 100 and try to make a fiver
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