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,” [...]
Row erupts over Tory plan to stop Soho pub goers standing up Hospitality London Mayor Sadiq Khan has slammed a plan backed by a Tory council to stop pub goers in Soho from drinking while standing up. Westminster Council, the now-Conservative-run local authority that covers London’s most popular drinking spots, has set out its ambition to radically limit “vertical drinking” or ordering drinks at the bar under a [...]
West Ham: Staveley receives Sadiq Khan encouragement to buy London Stadium Sport Business The door is open for West Ham United to buy their London Stadium home, with the Mayor welcoming any future discussions after Amanda Staveley said property would be part of her next football investment, Morning Wire can reveal. The former Newcastle United co-owner has agreed a deal – subject to majority owner Daniel Kretinsky not [...]
AI reduces founders’ need for capital, says Revolut Business July 22, 2026 AI is reducing the amount of capital startups need to build global businesses, shifting the battle for founders away from funding and towards which countries offer the best environment to scale, according to the head of Revolut Business. Speaking to Morning Wire, James Gibson said AI had dramatically lowered the cost of building and operating [...]
Sadiq Khan’s London plan is not nearly ambitious enough July 20, 2026 London isn’t building and the draft London Plan put forward by the Mayor last week will do very little to change that, says Sam Dumitriu It is unwise to take on additional responsibilities when you are failing to fulfill those you already have. As Mayor of London, one of the soon-to-be Lord Khan of Tooting’s [...]
Sadiq Khan urges tougher Ofcom action as UK prepares social media ban rules July 14, 2026 Sadiq Khan has called on social media companies to change algorithms that promote violent and misogynistic material, as London launches a £5m programme to tackle the effect of online harms on young people. The mayor of London also believes the state should be ready to intervene where platforms cannot or will not change their recommendation [...]
Sadiq Khan lobbies Burnham to appoint Miliband as Chancellor July 11, 2026 London mayor Sadiq Khan has weighed into the debate over who should be the next chancellor, lobbying Andy Burnham to select Ed Miliband for the job. In a private discussion with Burnham, Khan argued that Miliband had both the political skills and economic expertise to deliver Burnham’s agenda, including devolving powers to city regions, people [...]
No air conditioning on the Tube? Blame Sadiq Khan July 9, 2026 You could be riding in new, air conditioned trains on the Piccadilly Line and DLR but City Hall has botched their introduction. James Ford is getting hot under the collar... Do you find the tube to be oppressively hot in the summer and unbearable in a heatwave? Ever found yourself sweating on the Central Line? [...]
Mayor gives green light for 4am Joshua vs Fury fight at Wembley July 8, 2026 Sadiq Khan has given the green light for a 4am start to the Battle of Britain boxing bout between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury if it is held at Wembley Stadium. Sources close to the Mayor of London told Morning Wire it is “doable” in a move that would make for TV-friendly viewing times in [...]
London councils won’t be able to sue their way to more homes being built June 25, 2026 Last week I asked the chief executive of one of the country’s largest housing developers to sum up the state of housebuilding in London, and the answer was “dire.” If I’d allowed two words I suspect one of them would have been unprintable. The situation is so disastrous that Sadiq Khan was forced to lower [...]