London —
It takes a lot to get British people hot under the collar, but a proposal to curb a venerable pub tradition appears to be doing just that.
Westminster Council, which oversees a large part of central London, has set out its intention to cut down on what it describes as “vertical drinking” — that is, enjoying an alcoholic drink while standing up — at pubs in its district, which crucially incorporates the nightlife hub of Soho in the West End.
The proposal, which is currently out to public consultation, appears to be riling everyone from ordinary pub-goers to residents of 10 Downing Street.
Published in June, the authority’s plan, to which the public has until Sunday to respond, is laid out in its draft statement of licensing policy. It proposes to “discourage excessive drunkenness and encourage the provision of more seating in premises that serve alcohol for people to sit and enjoy a drink and order food by table service in place of open bar space that caters for high volume vertical drinking.”
