Nearly fifty Labour MPs have written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves calling for a forthcoming increase in business rates for music venues to be halted.
The letter, which has been seen by the BBC, argues that a revaluation of business rates, effective from April, could increase music venues’ bills by between 45% and 275%.
Reeves has been warned that music venues in the UK are facing “an existential threat” from increased costs.
Under pressure from the hospitality industry and backbench Labour MPs, she has been working on a support package for pubs, to be unveiled imminently.
Around 1,000 pubs had banned Labour politicians from their premises in protest at the prospect of increased costs both from the revaluation and the withdrawal of Covid-era support.
In her November Budget, the chancellor scaled back business rate discounts that have been in force since the pandemic from 75% to 40% – and announced that there would be no discount at all from April.
Many Labour MPs – as well as opposition politicians – are concerned that any support package could exclude the wider hospitality sector such as hotels and live music venues. They are pressing for a wider U-turn.
The letter was co-ordinated by Liverpool MP and Culture, Media and Sport Committee member Anneliese Midgeley, and includes Labour MPs on the committee.
It states: “Many of us have been contacted by constituents in recent months who use and run these critical music spaces, explaining that they will be severely impacted by the 2026 business rates revaluation.”
It asks the chancellor to cancel the April increase until a new and less damaging method of valuing music venues can be devised.
It also calls for more support for recording studios, claiming as many as half of them are under threat from the rates revaluation.
The Treasury has been approached for comment.
