Proving the old adage that even a broken clock is right twice a day, Sir Sadiq Khan has finally ended up on the right side of a debate. The London mayor has picked a fight with the Soho Society, a ludicrously obstructionist residents group which recently voted to lobby Westminster City Council against all new licensing applications for bars and restaurants, including renewals. It’s hard to think of a more obscene example of Nimbyism than this.
If New York is the city that never sleeps, London is the city that is comatose by midnight
It prompted Khan to post this on social media: ‘Complaining about nightlife when you *checks notes* choose to live in Soho is like living in South Kensington and complaining about the museums. Or moving to Hackney and grumbling about creatives. Living in Richmond and hating green space. It’s all getting a bit silly, isn’t it?’ On reading the mayor’s words, a strange feeling came over me: did I actually find myself agreeing with Sadiq Khan for once?
Few groups embody the extent to which Britain’s planning and licensing laws favour vested interests more than the Soho Society. If you’ve ever found yourself in the West End later than half past ten in the evening and struggled to find anywhere for a nightcap, blame the Soho Society. For decades they have objected to almost every application to extend licensing hours, making it almost impossible to enjoy a late-night drink outside of a casino, nightclub or private member’s club.
