Downing Street vows to strip councils of powers to limit standing in pubs

Downing Street’s announcement on 6 August 2026 that it will strip any licensing powers from local authorities that try to curb “vertical drinking” – the practice of standing at the bar while ordering drinks – marks the latest flashpoint in the long‑running tussle between central government and borough councils over the future of London’s night‑life.

Westminster City Council, which governs the heart of the capital’s entertainment quarter, released a draft licensing policy that The Guardian first reported. The document, now open for public consultation, recommends that any new licence for a premises in “popular nightlife areas” such as Soho should be granted only if the venue serves alcohol exclusively by waiter or waitress service. In practical terms, the draft would eliminate the ability of patrons to order drinks directly from the bar and would oblige venues to provide more seating.

Media additions

The draft also proposes that new licences in the same zones require the venue to call last orders at 10 pm, a measure framed as a way to “reduce noise and disturbance”. Beyond service changes, the council intends to designate a “cumulative impact zone” covering Soho, Victoria and Mayfair, within which no new pubs or bars could open. The policy’s architects argue that the restrictions would “discourage excessive drunkenness” and encourage a more seated, arguably safer, drinking environment.

Government response

A Downing Street spokesperson countered the council’s proposals with a forceful defence of the traditional pub experience. The spokesperson said:

“Busy pubs full of people talking to each other is not a public nuisance, it is British life, and it is thousands of jobs.

“The government is devolving new licensing powers to the mayor [of London] to help support pubs and nightlife. Soho did not become world famous by taking last orders early, switching the lights off at 10 o’clock.

“The prime minister encourages local leaders to work with the industry so that pubs can continue to thrive.”

Downing Street spokesperson, via the Guardian

Both the Guardian and AOL note that the prime minister’s office plans to grant new powers to the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, enabling him to “call in” local council decisions that he opposes.

Mayor’s stance

“You can’t run a world-famous nightlife district with a village‑hall mindset.”

Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, via X

A spokesman for the mayor reiterated the opposition to “restrictive and anti‑growth policies” and expressed confidence that the new powers would be used to block what he described as “overreaching” council measures.

Local political reaction

Paul Swaddle, the Conservative leader of Westminster council, rejected the idea that the draft constitutes a ban on standing drinking. In an interview with the Press Association, Swaddle said the media had produced “confusing stories” about the document and insisted there was “no plan, and never has been, to ban drinking while standing up in a Westminster pub.”

“I want to be straight with people. There is no plan, and never has been, to ban drinking while standing up in a Westminster pub.”

Paul Swaddle, leader of Westminster council, via Press Association

Swaddle also pushed back against what he described as “lectures from city hall”, accusing the mayor’s office of directing the police to object to every new licence application as a solution to “curbing crime in the West End”.

“We don’t need lectures from city hall on backing hospitality when they have directed the police to object to every new licence application as their solution to curbing crime in the West End.”

Paul Swaddle, via Press Association

Industry alarm

Operators of pubs and bars across Soho have rallied around the same warning: the draft could “kill off West End nightlife”. “Busy pubs full of people talking to each other is not a public nuisance, it is British life,” the Downing Street spokesperson said, echoing the sentiment that the sector supports thousands of jobs and contributes to the city’s cultural identity.

What happens next

The draft licensing policy remains in the consultation phase, meaning that interested parties – from local residents to hospitality groups – can submit feedback before a final version is decided.

If the mayor’s powers are granted and the draft policy is adopted, Westminster’s “cumulative impact zone” could effectively freeze any new pub or bar openings across the designated West End neighborhoods.