Mel Stride blasts Labour's war on pubs amid Tory pledge to scrap business rates - 'Spending it all on benefits!'

On 8 January 2026, Conservative MP Sir Mel Stride criticised Labour’s economic strategy in a GB News interview, accusing the opposition of “spending it all on benefits” while Britain’s pubs suffer. Stride, who is a senior minister in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, echoed a Tory pledge to scrap business rates – a move aimed at easing the cost burden on small businesses and hospitality venues across the UK. He warned that the Labour Party’s focus on welfare would leave pubs and other local businesses under‑funded. The comments come amid growing pressure on the government to support the hospitality sector, which has seen a 15‑per‑cent decline in revenue since the pandemic.