Pubs, music venues and studios are at the heart of communities like Manchester Withington. They are places where people meet, create, perform and keep our local high streets alive.

Last month, I joined colleagues in writing to the Chancellor to raise concerns about the impact that rising business rates would have on grassroots music venues and recording studios. Many of these spaces faced steep increases that threatened their future. You can read that letter here:

In the letter we warned that some venues and studios were facing rateable value rises of 45% to over 200%, with many unable to pass costs on and some considering closure altogether. These are not luxury spaces; they are essential community and cultural infrastructure.

I’m pleased that the Government has now announced a support package on business rates that will benefit pubs and other hospitality venues across the country. This includes continued relief to help protect the places people rely on for work, culture and community life.

For areas like south Manchester, this matters. Our local pubs, bars and venues provide jobs, host live music and events, and bring people together. Targeted support through the business rates system will help them stay open, invest and plan for the future.

This follows sustained campaigning from MPs and from the sector itself to make sure business rates better reflect the realities faced by community venues. There is more to do, particularly for grassroots music spaces and studios, but this announcement is a welcome step in the right direction to back British pubs and the wider cultural and night-time economy.

I’ll continue to press for a fair and sustainable system that recognises the value these venues bring to Manchester and to communities across the country.