Pubs are set to stay open until 5am for England’s last 16 World Cup clash against Mexico as Sir Keir Starmer introduced emergency legislation.
The match at the Azteca Stadium kicks off at 1am on Monday, creating a headache for publicans hoping to host fans for the knockout fixture.
The outgoing Prime Minister has announced that pubs across England and Wales will be able to stay open for the contest.
The move will be welcomed by England supporters wanting to see their side play into the early hours of Monday morning.
The window for applying for a Temporary Event Notice closed earlier this week, before England had secured their place in the knockout rounds.
Pubs without this special permit are currently unable to serve customers through the night for the early-hours fixture.
A business minister confirmed earlier today that establishments lacking the necessary notice would be barred from opening their doors to fans.
Sir Keir, who is known for his love of football, is now examining ways to extend the universal relaxation as a one-off measure.
Reform’s Robert Jenrick condemned the situation as absurd and demanded immediate action.
“This is ridiculous,” he said. “Just issue a decree that any pub in the land can stay open late on Monday.
“It’s been done before.
“Stop being pettifogging killjoys and get behind England”
Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson raised the matter in the House of Commons, questioning whether ministers would extend licensing hours on Sunday to allow fans to enjoy the fixture.
“Pubs will miss out on a real opportunity to get money in the till if ministers do not make a blanket extension for licensing hours,” Wilkinson warned.
Community Secretary Steve Reed has urged local authorities to cease blocking Temporary Event Notice applications, with some councils rejecting requests over noise concerns.
Reed said: “If pubs want to open their doors for World Cup matches they should be able to.
“We’ve relaxed licensing rules to make this possible, but it seems that some councils are still saying no.
“This is my message to them: if you can say yes, do it, and this Government will back you.
“There’s nothing like watching the World Cup in your local; let’s make it happen.”
