Sadiq Khan's 'night czar' Amy Lamé to stand down after criticism of London's faltering nightlife

2 October 2024, 17:43

London’s ‘night czar’ is set to resign after eight years in the role amid growing criticism of the capital's nightlife.

Sadiq Khan’s night czar Amy Lamé, who earns £132,846 per year, will stand down at the end of this month.

Ms Lamé, who was appointed in a bid to promote London's clubs and bars, is tasked with fostering and building 'partnerships' around the world.

Ms Lamé, who was the first person to hold the role created by Sadiq Khan, said it was “the right time” to “move on” but added it had been “a real privilege to serve Londoners”.

Read more: England and Wales lose 50 pubs per month in first half of 2024, data shows

She has been subject to a slew of criticism since taking on the role, with detractors pointing towards her failure to prevent the wave of closures affecting clubs and bars in London in recent years.

Much of the criticism has focused on her salary, which many have said is too high given the current state of the city’s nightlife.

It’s unknown if Ms Lamé will be replaced by a new night czar when she departs in November.

Ms Lamé said: “It has been a huge honour to be London’s – and the UK’s – first-ever night czar, but after eight years I believe that it is the right time for me to move on.

“It has been a real privilege to serve Londoners and deliver for the mayor, and I’m deeply proud of what has been achieved in the face of so many challenges.

“Boroughs are planning for life at night for the first time with dedicated night time strategies, the innovative Women’s Night Safety Charter has ensured thousands of organisations prioritise the safety of women, the Agent of Change is protecting venues from development, four in five of London’s night workers are receiving the London Living Wage and I’ve worked alongside hundreds of venues to support them in their hours of need.

“Cities across the UK and the world have created their own champions for life at night in recent years, and it’s been inspiring to work alongside them.

“Despite the ongoing challenges that it faces, I know that London’s life at night will continue to evolve and I look forward to seeing the work that has already started to deliver the mayor’s manifesto pledges, as I begin my next chapter.”

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has paid tribute to Ms Lamé ahead of her departure.

Mr Khan said: “I’d like to thank Amy for everything that she’s done as the capital’s first-ever night czar.

“She has worked hard to help London’s nightlife through huge challenges, including the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis, and I know she will continue to be a key part of the industry going forward.”

Recent figures suggest more than 1,000 bars and clubs have closed their doors since the start of the pandemic.

Earlier this year, Londoners took to social media, highlighting the sorry state of the city’s nightlife with the hashtag #LameLondon.

The hashtag, which aimed to mock Ms Lamé, began circulating in a bid to raise awareness of London's crumbling nightlife.

It came after Sadiq Khan claimed London is the world’s greatest 24-hour city.

The trending hashtag, which highlights the flagging state of the capital's party scene, saw users add their two cents to the debate, with one user describing the capital's nightlife as "nonexistent".

He continued: "We are a country of busybodies, killjoys and curtain twitchers. #lamelondon"

A spokesman for the Mayor of London said night-time industries across the country have faced huge challenges in recent years, which the mayor and ‘night czar’ have supported firms through.

They added: “Last year London’s hospitality industry sales outpaced the rest of the UK.

"They know challenges remain and will continue to do all they can to protect and support venues across the capital and help new ones to open, stand up for the 1.3m Londoners who work evenings and nights to ensure better pay and conditions, and put women’s safety at the heart of our work.”

Ms Lamé has defended the need for a night czar in the past.

Writing in the Independent, she said: “I was disappointed to read reports in other newspapers questioning the necessity of London having a night tsar, a job that enables me to support and supercharge the capital’s life at night, and one that I have held since 2016.

“Our capital’s world-renowned nightlife is integral to our economic and social life.

“There’s no denying that it has faced huge challenges in recent years, due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic, Brexit, the cost of living crisis, rising rents and business rates, and staffing shortages.

“I’ve been working closely with businesses, venues, boroughs and Londoners to support them throughout these challenges, and I’m delighted that London’s hospitality industry sales outpaced the rest of the UK last year.”

She added: “I was instrumental in supporting the plans to retain Printworks, an events venue in Rotherhithe that takes its name from the building’s former use, as a permanent cultural space”.