런던 지방의회 ‘서서 맥주 마시기’ 금지 움직임에…총리실 비판

A draft policy by London's Westminster City Council aims to limit the traditional British pub practice of 'standing and drinking a pint' (vertical drinking) and has sparked controversy locally. According to reports from the UK's Guardian and BBC, the Westminster City Council, which oversees pub and restaurant liquor licenses in West London, included provisions in a recent draft policy for new liquor licenses to encourage establishments to add more seating in their liquor service areas.

The policy suggests that pubs applying for new licenses should "provide more seats in liquor service areas to prevent excessive drinking, allow people to sit and enjoy their drinks, and order food through staff." The proposal targets areas like Soho and Richmond-upon-Thames, which have high concentrations of liquor-selling pubs and bars.

The Council believes that these areas often experience crowded streets and rowdy crowds in the evenings. However, the move has sparked criticism from locals who deny that the policy seeks to undermine pub culture. UK Prime Minister's spokesman, Andy Burnham, noted in the Guardian that "the conviviality of people gathering in crowded pubs is not a source of public inconvenience, but a daily reality of British society that supports thousands of jobs."

London Mayor's spokesman, Sadique Khan, called it a "policy that hinders growth." Westminster City Council, however, denied plans to ban vertical drinking, stating that the draft is merely a consultation document and that the policy's aim is to increase table service areas to reduce noise and disorder.