LONDON \u2014 England may not prevail against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca tonight, but the United Kingdom\u2019s Liberal Democratic Party thinks it has already won the week.<\/p>\n

The third-largest party in Westminster is claiming that it delivered late pub-closing times after pressuring Prime Minister Keir Starmer to pass a last-minute law allowing pubs to remain open and keep doling out the booze during the upcoming England World Cup match.<\/p>\n

The pub schedule became a matter of national concern of national interest after England\u2019s first knockout victory ensured the team would be playing late Sunday \u2014 a 1:00 am kickoff in Mexico City that might not wrap up until 3:45am London time, well past last call. Local Government Secretary Steve Reed had been urging local councils<\/a> to allow later closing times but some held out.<\/p>\n

The Lib Dems proposed a national solution<\/a> that would avoid a patchwork of closing times, with Lib Dem lawmaker Max Wilkinson pressing Business Minister Kate Dearden in the House of Commons on Thursday to grant a last-minute licensing extension, over the objection of Business Minister Kate Dearden<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Starmer backtracked later in the day, announcing that he would keep pubs open until 5 a.m. \u2014 by tweaking licensing rules so establishments don\u2019t need to ask councils first. \u201cFootball might be coming home but we\u2019re making sure fans don\u2019t have to,\u201d Starmer said.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s the Lib Dems who want voters to credit them for the change, with leader Ed Davey posting on social media<\/a> that Starmer was acting on Wilkinson\u2019s \u201csuggestion to keep pubs open for the football.\u201d Emboldened, the party is now pushing another cause \u2014 a knighthood for England striker Harry Kane, subject of a parliamentary motion introduced by MP Layla Moran.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"