London City Council wants to ban “vertical drinking”.

But that one Westminster City Council, The district, which includes the lively districts of Soho and Covent Garden, wanted to put an end to this. A new draft of the licensing guidelines states Guardian recommended, To prevent “vertical drinking” and ordering at the bar.

Pubs should also ensure that there are enough seats available. Because if you sit down, you’re more likely to order something to go with your drink. And those who order from a waiter or waitress drink more slowly than at an open bar.

Against excessive alcohol consumption

These are measures intended to reduce alcohol consumption. Although the total amount of alcohol consumed in Great Britain is only slightly above the European average at 10.7 liters per person per year, the British tend to binge drink quickly and in large quantities.

In any case, the move caused displeasure in the British media. Standing in the pub, argued Helen Coffey in Independent is “part of British life”. “Is it a pub,” asked again Simon Jenkins im Guardian, “where (standing) is not allowed, is it even a real pub?”

It switched on promptly London Mayor Sadiq Khan a. In any case, he would like to put a stop to the “restrictive and growth-inhibiting measures” – and new powers should enable him to do so. London boroughs have traditionally published new licensing guidelines every five years; but now these have to be presented to the mayor’s office.

Political showdown

And so it quickly becomes clear that the dispute is based on a political showdown: the city council in Westminster is being controlled by the… Conservatives led; Sadiq Khan heard Labour to. Each party blames the other for problems.

A quarter of all petty crimes in London, such as those committed by the Conservatives, take place in the central area West End and St. James’s. If Labor increased police numbers, everyone could enjoy the city more.

Westminster City Council wants to ban new bars and pubs in so-called “cumulative impact zones” – notably Soho and the West End. But London’s nightlife, Labor explains, brings in the equivalent of around 25 billion euros in sales. So conservatives should focus less on harassment and more on enjoyment of life.

A look at the statistics shows how difficult it is to keep a restaurant running. In the first three months of the year, 161 pubs had to close in the English capital.

Drinking in Orkney

By the way, the idea of ​​prohibiting vertical drinking is not entirely new. Two years ago it caused astonishment on the Scottish island of Orkney. At that time, the operators of the Pomona Inn in Finstown asked for permission to welcome 16 and 17 year olds to darts and pool matches in the pub in the evenings. After 8 p.m. only those over 18 are allowed in British pubs.

The police initially only wanted to allow this if the pub prohibited “vertical drinking”. So the measure was the same, but the reasoning was different: When the guests are seated, the staff have a better overview and can more easily notice any rule violations. The pub board rejected the requirement; the 16 and 17 year olds were still allowed to come.

Meanwhile, pubs are not the only focus of London’s Labor-Tory spat at the moment. Mayor Sadiq Khan wants to calm down busy Oxford Street and make it a pedestrian zone in the autumn; The Westminster city council office has already announced that it will take legal action against it.