Why the Soho spat over 'vertical drinking' could be the first of many

Who should have the final say over what happens in the heart of London? It's been more than a week of high profile wrangling over the rules in Soho, a week when the terms "vertical drinking" and "cumulative impact zones" have come to the fore. It's been a period of very public and pretty acrimonious accusations between Conservative-run Westminster Council and London's Labour mayor - all over what direction the licensing policy for the area should take. The mayor says the council's plans will harm Soho's hospitality trade, describing them as "overly onerous and archaic". The council has accused Sir Sadiq Khan of "an attack on Westminster orchestrated by the mayor in his quest to take control of licensing". In a power struggle of how and when we drink, both sides insist they have the best interest of Soho and its businesses at heart. The row centres on Westminster Council's new draft licensing plan, something it has to produce every five years. For the first time, though, it has to consult the mayor's office over it, following changes brought in under the 2026 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act. London City Hall doesn't much like what it sees, picking out particular are