No 10 backs ‘vertical drinking’ in Soho pubs Hospitality Downing Street has waded into the debate over so-called “vertical drinking” and called on Westminster City Council to “work with” the industry to maintain the culture of pints outside London pubs. “Busy pubs full of people talking to each other is not a public nuisance, it is British life and it is thousands of jobs,” [...]
Policing alone won’t solve London’s shoplifting epidemic Opinion Shoplifting is damaging London’s reputation as a global city. It’s time the entire justice system pulled together to tackle it, says Dee Corsi London’s attractiveness as a globally renowned destination for culture and tourism isn’t going anywhere. But recent research from New West End Company has found that safety and policing is holding it back. [...]
London local election results LIVE: Brown returns as Labour bruised in five-party split Politics Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has returned to support Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership as a special envoy for global finance. The appointment was made after bruising election results across the country, particularly in Wales and Scotland where Labour lost control. Starmer resisted calls for his [...]
Oxford Street regeneration a complex undertaking for City Hall March 5, 2026 The centrepiece of shopping in the capital is set for a major makeover, after London mayor Sadiq Khan set out his long-mooted plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street on Wednesday. The plan will transform the makeup of central London and bring huge opportunities for retailers, but the proposal – particularly its computer-generated elements – leave plenty [...]
Oxford Street one-day traffic ban is start of ‘fight to rescue street’, mayor says September 21, 2025 The mayor of London has said a one-day trial banning traffic from part of Oxford Street marks “the day the fight back began to rescue this street”. Sir Sadiq Khan visited the street, where vehicles were prohibited from accessing a half-mile stretch of the road from Oxford Circus to Orchard Street between noon and 8pm [...]
Soho isn’t just for residents, so why do they get all the say? August 13, 2025 Soho could be a pedestrianised wonderland, but Nimbyism plus a council structure that disincentivises business is punishing all Londoners.
Clowns vs the council: Inside the regulation spat threatening Covent Garden’s street performers May 12, 2025 As Covent Garden's street performers celebrate 50 years of clowning on the cobbles, Anna Moloney asks why they're worried about their future.