Amy Lamé to step down as London Night Czar
As reported by the BBC, Lamé will end her tenure as London’s Night Czar at the end of this month.
Taking on the role after it was created by London Mayor Sadiq Khan in 2016, Lamé has faced criticism during her time at City Hall, including on how much meaningful change could be made with the powers granted to her.
However, earlier this year Lamé, who was reported to have been paid an annually salary of £132,846, told The Morning Advertiser criticism is “inevitable” for those in leadership roles.
Following news of Lamé’s upcoming departure, the Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA) CEO Micael Kill said despite criticism, the outgoing Night Czar’s achievements must be “recognised”.
Enormous challenge
Kill continued: “Her work on women’s safety at night, and the establishment of enterprise zones, have been hugely beneficial for the sector.
"The role of Night Czar has always been crucial, but also an enormous challenge, especially during one of the toughest trading periods for the night-time economy.
“Representing such a vast market in a capital city like London is no easy task. I wish Amy well in her future endeavours.
"With the formation of the new Night Taskforce, I am optimistic that we are entering a new era.”
Kill added City Hall now had a chance to rebuild London’s nightlife with a “fresh perspective and stronger foundations”.
Pioneering hard work
He said: "London has an incredible variety of nightlife, supported by outstanding operators and entrepreneurs.
“It’s time to remind everyone that the capital is one of the world’s leading night-time economies.
“I look forward to collaborating with the Mayor of London and other partners to rebuild a thriving future strategy.”
UKHospitality (UKH) chief executive also commented on the news, praising Lamé’s “pioneering hard work behind the scenes”.
In a social media post to X, Nicholls said: “[I] worked initially with Amy when I chaired the Nighttime Commission for the Mayor making recommendations to improve NTE in the capital and founding Women’s Night Safety Charter - a lot of pioneering hard work behind the scenes.”
