Sadiq Khan faces questions over globe-trotting London ‘night time tsar’

Sadiq Khan is dealing with questions over the effectiveness of London‘s globe-trotting ‘night time tsar’ after it emerged greater than 1,100 bars and golf equipment venues have closed within the capital in simply three years.

Amy Lamé, the lady put in command of rejuvenating night time tradition within the metropolis, has been criticised for her travels, after her journeys to Australia, Italy and Spain appeared to make little impression on the town’s declining nightlife.

City Hall says these journeys are important to ‘share greatest follow be taught from different cities and construct partnerships’, however critics say Ms Lamé – who additionally works as a DJ on BBC Radio 6 – is struggling to justify her journeys overseas.

The head of an business affiliation and members of the London Assembly have each questioned whether or not she offering worth for cash – Ms Lamé is paid £117,000-a-year – as startling figures present the capital is falling behind cities resembling Liverpool and Birmingham.

It comes as Mayor Sadiq Khan faces criticism for the sum of money spent on some tasks, with thousands and thousands spent on the controversial renaming of London Overground traces, the derided ‘say Maaate’ anti-harassment marketing campaign and New Year’s Eve fireworks to advertise variety.

Amy Lamé, pictured right here with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, travelled to Australia, Italy and Spain within the house of 12 months in her position as ‘night time tsar’

Ms Lamé (second left) pictured with night time mayors from different international locations at a gathering in Sydney

While nightlife in lots of British cities is struggling to bounce again following the Covid pandemic, and is now struggling a double hit with the value of dwelling disaster, the decline has been extra marked within the capital than elsewhere.

Figures from Square-Up, a agency which processes funds for companies, stated that by way of the sheer variety of transactions Liverpool and Birmingham have now overtaken London.

One survey discovered that 1,165 venues have closed in London since pandemic, and the top of 1 business physique says that whereas all cities in Britain are dealing with points, Ms Lamé has to reply for London’s poor efficiency.

Michael Knill, the CEO of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), advised The Times he believes that whereas the ‘night time tsar’ has to supervise all 32 boroughs of London – a job that’s far larger than others in her place elsewhere – there are nonetheless questions that want answering.

He stated: ‘There is an enormous distinction between signposting and advantage signalling and driving tangible change. We see a variety of bulletins however not so many outcomes.’ 

He claimed ‘the business feels there hasn’t been a robust sufficient voice for us’ and that whereas there have been worthwhile initiatives resembling the ladies’s night time security constitution, extra is required.

Ms Lamé’s journeys overseas – which noticed her journey to Sydney, Bologna and Madrid within the house of 12 months in 2022 and 2023 – weren’t paid for by the taxpayer and have been as a substitute funded via personal donations.

However, they’ve nonetheless raised questions on whether or not they’re a very good use of her time, with Mr Knill saying ‘we’ve obtained such financial pressures at house, folks within the business are saying, “Why are you there when you should be here?'”

Peter Fortune, Conservative London Assembly member for Bexley and Bromley, advised the publication he was not essentially in opposition to Ms Lamé travelling overseas to advertise the town.

He stated: ‘But I need to see outcomes on account of these journeys. What’s occurred on account of Australia, of Bologna? Where’s the bang for the buck?’

Ms Lamé (proper) pictured with the vice mayor of Bologna (centre) and the night time mayor of Trento (left) throughout a visit to Italy

The journeys taken by Ms Lamé, who additionally works as a presenter for BBC Radio 6, have been funded via personal donations

Ms Lamé took up the position of London’s night time tsar in 2016 and since then has seen her wage rise from £80,000 to £116,925

A spokesperson for Sadiq Khan stated figures from UKHospitality confirmed income in London’s hospitality sector had risen by £3billion to £46billion in 4 years. They claims stay music and hospitality ‘defied all expectations’ final yr. 

Sadiq Khan has come beneath criticism in current weeks for what’s seen by some as ‘misplaced priorities’ when spending taxpayers cash.

Earlier this month travellers slammed the Mayor for spending £6.3million from the Greater London Authority funds on renaming and recolouring all six London Overground traces.

The majority of the cash went on updating buyer data, resembling redesigning and redisplaying maps throughout all Tube and London Overground stations, and issuing new variations in print and on-line. 

There was scorn from some quarters because the names – Lioness, Mildmay, Windrush, Weaver, Suffragette and Liberty – have been revealed, with Khan himself admitting ‘not everyone goes to be completely happy’.

In January a report compiled by the Conservatives accused the Mayor of losing £123million of taxpayers cash, a sum disputed by sources inside his personal staff.

Tories within the London Assembly stated Khan was losing thousands and thousands of kilos on ‘spin docs, advertising and marketing and pointless initiatives’.

This contains £10million on five-day workshops for the Met Police and workers which had a take a look at to ‘decide the color’ of their personalities, nearly £1million on ‘seashore events’ and £500,000 on free promoting for a vaginal moisturising firm.

The ‘night time tsar’ was additionally amongst these focused within the report, with the Conservatives claiming £70,000 of taxpayers cash was spent on a drag act referred to as ‘Duckie Loves Fanny’ which was hosted by Ms Lamé. 

But the Mayor’s workplace fired again, branding the report ‘deceptive’ and attacking the federal government for failing to supply sufficient money to fund the capital’s public companies.

A spokesperson for the Mayor advised The Times: ‘The Night Tsar’s work contains standing up for the 1.3 million Londoners who work evenings and nights to make sure higher pay and circumstances, defending lots of of venues and serving to many new ones to open, and creating the groundbreaking Night Time Enterprise Zone programme to spice up the capital’s excessive streets.

‘Amy helps to place girls’s security on the coronary heart of greater than 2,100 organisations, making licensing simpler to navigate, and supporting boroughs to develop nighttime methods to plan higher for all facets of life at night time.’

MailOnline has contacted City Hall for additional remark.