His colleagues have since denied any such plan is under consideration.
Public Health Minister Andrew Gwynne told delegates at Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool Monday that while Britain’s new government is “not the fun police” or “supernanny,” there may be economic and moral arguments for adjusting opening hours.
He said the current state of the nation’s health is “morally reprehensible,” and cited huge pressure on the country’s National Health Service from excessive drinking.
“These are discussions that we have got to have – even if it’s just about tightening up on some of the hours of operation; particularly where there are concerns that people are drinking too much,” he said, in remarks first reported by the Telegraph.
Under current rules, most British bars and pubs close at 11 p.m., although the last Labour government allowed venues to apply for a 24-hour drinking license in a bid to get binge-drinking Brits to pace themselves.
Farage, a lifelong libertarian who has already hit out at proposals to curb smoking outside pubs and bars, pounced on Gwynne’s comments and said they would damage Labour in its traditional heartlands, known as the “Red Wall.”