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Westminster Proposes Seats, Officials Defend Standing Patrons

8/8/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Westminster City Council drafted a policy to curb “vertical drinking” in central London pubs by adding seating for safety.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Mayor Sadiq Khan defended standing patrons as British life and called the proposal restrictive.
CAMRA spokesperson Ellie Eames called the restrictions “absolutely absurd,” while the British Beer and Pub Association reports 44,650 pubs in 2025 versus 60,800 in 2000.

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Story summary

Westminster City Council drafted a policy to curb “vertical drinking” in central London pubs by adding seating for safety.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Mayor Sadiq Khan defended standing patrons as British life and called the proposal restrictive.
CAMRA spokesperson Ellie Eames called the restrictions “absolutely absurd,” while the British Beer and Pub Association reports 44,650 pubs in 2025 versus 60,800 in 2000.