UPDATE 1-UK expected to soften business rates rise for pubs, says BBC

The British government is expected to announce a reduction in planned ‌business rates rises for pubs, the BBC reported on Thursday, softening the blow of the hike announced ⁠last year which hospitality groups warned would result in pub closures. Pubs, part of the fabric of communities across Britain for hundreds of years, had ​demanded specific relief after finance minister Rachel Reeves announced changes ‍to business rates, a type of property tax on all commercial premises, in her November budget.

The British government is expected to announce a reduction in planned ‌business rates rises for pubs, the BBC reported on Thursday, softening the blow of the hike announced ⁠last year which hospitality groups warned would result in pub closures.

Pubs, part of the fabric of communities across Britain for hundreds of years, had ​demanded specific relief after finance minister Rachel Reeves announced changes ‍to business rates, a type of property tax on all commercial premises, in her November budget. Industry group the British Beer and Pub Association said 15,000 jobs could be ⁠at ‌risk from the ⁠changes as around 5,000 smaller pubs would be hit with a business rates ‍bill for the first time.

The BBC said the government would in the next ​few days announce a package to help pubs, by reducing ⁠the "multiplier" - the percentage of a pub's rateable value used to calculate business rates bills. Britain's Prime ⁠Minister Keir Starmer is developing a reputation for

u-turns , after climbdowns on a number of policies.

In December, the government scaled back its ⁠plan to raise more tax from farmers, months after it backed down ⁠on plans to ‌cut welfare spending and scaled back a proposal to reduce subsidies on energy bills for the elderly.

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