London Mayor and Night Czar under attack for claiming city has “24 hour culture”

6 March, 2024

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, London Night Tzar Amy Lame

London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Night Czar Amy Lamé have come under fire for suggesting that London has a “24 hour culture”.

The London Mayor insisted in a tweet last weekend (March 3) that “London is leading the world in its 24-hour policy with other global cities looking to us for inspiration”.

The statement was accompanied with a clip of Lamé speaking on BBC Politics London in which she claimed that “we are a truly 24-hour city”.

The Night Czar said she could “point to the successes” of her role – after being tasked with “ensuring London thrives as a 24-hour city” in 2016 – including saving Fabric nightclub, opening Drumsheds in a former Ikea in Tottenham and funding grassroots live music venues.

She also cited “really important” nighttime jobs like working for the NHS, driving buses and stacking shelves.

However, the clip has since gone viral on X/Twitter with users vehemently disagreeing with the claims.

The post has also been labelled with a community note highlighting a selection of articles suggesting the opposite of Lamé’s claims.

“Contrary to the London mayor’s claim, London’s nightlife is in decline, with a number of key clubs and bars being shut down in recent years,” the note reads.

Among sources to back up the rebuttal was a Telegraph article suggesting that “London’s nightlife is an embarrassment”.

Alongside it were reports that number of nightclubs has almost halved in the past decade, according to study last year, and a Daily Mail report about the “annihilation” of London’s party scene after 1,110 bars and clubs had shut since Covid.

Additionally, just last month data revealed that 31 per cent of UK nightclubs closed last year as the industry demanded government action.

“Honestly never felt more politically gaslit than being told this ’24-hour city’ thing constantly,” one user said in response.

“Just finished work at 10.35pm. Ready to gorge myself on dinner in London, a 24 hour city!” another joked. A third called it a “laughable” claim. You can read some more reactions below.

Meawhile, 2023 was “worst year for venue closures” while “no one in music industry seems to care”, according to the Music Venue Trust.

Grassroots music venues in the capital like North London’s Nambucca are among those that have fallen victim to financial issues resulting in closure.

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