Starmer set to allow all pubs to open for England’s 1am World Cup match with Mexico

Keir Starmer is preparing to keep all pubs open until the early hours of the morning for England’s tough World Cup match on Monday.

The Three Lions will face Mexico in a match kicking off at 1am in the UK, with the kick-off time sparking calls for licensing laws to be relaxed in a move that could be worth millions to the hospitality industry.

Pubs have already been allowed to open late during England’s World Cup qualifying rounds.

However, Monday’s match against Azteca is excluded from the change due to the very late start time.

But now Sir Keir, a die-hard Arsenal supporter, is looking at options that would allow restrictions to be lifted on a one-off basis.

Responding to the move, Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson said: “See you in the bar.”

Official figures show 16.3 million people watched England beat the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday.

England captain Harry Kane secured a place in the round of 16 for the men’s national football team after scoring two second-half goals.

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said she had raised concerns across the industry.

He said: “We are in close contact with the government regarding concerns raised by broadcasters who wish to show the match but do not have provisional event announcements.

“It would be a great shame for fans and pubs if our locals were not able to host such an important match.”

England manager Thomas Tuchel called on children to stay up late and watch the match.

Asked whether the Prime Minister supported the call, Downing Street said: “Parents will make their own decisions on this.”

Sir Keir’s spokesman said: “We want everyone to enjoy the game but children need to go to school on Monday.

“The Prime Minister has a busy schedule as usual on Monday, so he will face the same dilemma as everyone else about whether to stay afloat or not.

“Win or lose, I think millions of England fans will be back at work on Monday and the Prime Minister will do the same.”

Former education minister Baroness Jacqui Smith previously said she planned to “nap at the disco” on Sunday afternoon and then stay up late to watch the match.

Licensing hours for World Cup matches have been extended from 23:00 to 01:00 and kick-offs have been increased from 17:00 to 21:00.

Bars will be able to stay open until 02.00 at night if the kick-off is after 21.00 and until 22.00.

Outside of these rules, bars can apply for something called a Temporary Activities Notice (TEN) with their local municipality to stay open late.

But this needs to be submitted at least five business days in advance, making it too late for bars to apply.

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