- Westminster Council has proposed a new draft licensing policy for Soho and the West End, which includes discouraging 'vertical drinking' and encouraging more seating and table service in pubs and bars.
- The policy aims to curb excessive drunkenness and manage customer flow, with powers to refuse new venue applications in the 'West End Cumulative Impact Zone'.
- Mayor of London Sadiq Khan criticised the proposals as 'restrictive and anti-growth', stating he hopes new governmental powers will allow him to prevent such policies.
- Licensing lawyer Philip Kolvin KC argued that discouraging vertical drinking goes against the traditional social ethos of pubs, where people mix freely.
- Westminster City Council Deputy Leader Cllr Tim Barnes clarified that the guidance is not a ban on standing but an encouragement for venues to manage customers to prevent overcrowding and disturbance.
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