Westminster Council’s Proposal on Standing Drinking Sparks Debate

A proposal to limit ‘vertical drinking,’ a bureaucratic euphemism for standing while having a drink, has become a political headache for a local council in London. Politicians, from Prime Minister Andy Burnham to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, have joined in criticizing the idea from Westminster Council, which is in charge of licensing for pubs and restaurants in the West End, a key nightlife hub popular with tourists and residents.

Many of these pubs are characterized by crowds of drinkers mingling and sharing drinks with friends, often spilling onto the streets during mild spring and summer nights. Lesley Lewis, who has managed the French House pub in Soho for 37 years, stated that discouraging this tradition would simply push patrons to other city areas. ‘We rely on those standing people for rents and the rates imposed,’ she said. ‘People want to enjoy Soho, they want to drink outside, dance. They don’t want to sit and remain where they are; they want to meet people and chat.’

With British newspapers carrying headlines such as ‘Only Sitting in Pubs?’ and ‘Soho Pubs Won’t Stand A Blow to Vertical Drinking,’ the Westminster council responded to the ‘confusing’ reports, claiming they misrepresented their plans. Westminster Council leader Paul Swaddle issued a press release emphasizing that the proposal is part of a draft policy still open for public comment. The council’s goal is to reduce noise and disorderly conduct by encouraging bars and restaurants to serve more people at tables, not to ban standing while holding a drink, he noted. ‘I want to clarify what we aim to achieve,’ he stated. ‘This is about safety, not preventing someone from standing at the bar with a pint in hand.’

The council’s draft licensing policy includes a proposal to discourage ‘excessive drunkenness’ by encouraging business owners to offer more opportunities for people to sit and enjoy a drink and order food with table service, rather than open bar spaces catering to high-volume vertical drinking. Westminster has more licensed pubs, bars, and restaurants than any other local authority in the UK. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day.

Although the council’s policy statement highlights the essential role the hospitality industry plays in the local economy, it also asserts that local leaders must ensure Westminster is ‘a great place to live’ for its residents. This has not stopped criticism from higher-ranking government officials, who focus on supporting a hospitality industry still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A spokesperson for Burnham argued that pubs full of people standing and sharing a beer are not a nuisance but part of ‘British life.’ The Prime Minister encourages local leaders to work with the hospitality industry so pubs can thrive, he added. ‘The pubs we have are at the heart of high streets, and I think it is crucial at the start of my tenure to make it clear that I will be an advocate for them,’ Burnham told journalists last month while visiting a pub called The Hare in Harlow, Essex. ‘I will speak up for them and act.’

Khan suggested that he would use new powers granted to his office in the coming months to review Westminster’s policy. ‘You can’t manage a world-famous nightlife district with a communal lounge mindset,’ Khan wrote on X. ‘London’s hospitality and nightlife sustain jobs, culture, and growth.’

*This story was translated from English by an AP editor with the help of a generative AI tool.