To think MPs shouldn’t be drinking while at work?

I totally agree. The days of the 'liquid lunch' are mercifully long gone in other industries, so why are MPs any different? These people are voting to decide our future laws, they should bloody well be sober when they do it!

Bankers, insurance brokers, sales people, accountants. I would say half the offices I go into have beer taps in the communal kitchen!

I can guarantee if I hadn't had a drink with clients at lunch over the years I would have been far less successful and made the company far less money.

Should you be pissed? Certainly not
Would a middle aged man turn down a deal because you refused a drink? Yes
Have my most lucrative deals been done with alcohol involved? Mostly

I get it, you're outraged but let's simmer down on the denial it happens, because it does. A lot.

In the 90s we had a subsidised bar on site (civil service) and most people used it.

Times have changed!

😂😂😂 Are you having a drink now or is your autocorrect putting in an extra shift? 😂😂😂

Most of the socialising is waiting for a division (vote on an issue). Debates go on for many hours, late into the night. An MP might have been contributing to a debate at 7pm but the vote may not be until 10pm. People argue you should be there for all of it but with a few exceptions on contentious issues, the contributions become extremely repetitive and often parochial (eg something on schools will involve scores of MPs standing up and saying “this issue particularly affects Anytown Primary in my constituency…”. This is the point where MPs waiting for the vote will go to the bar.

Is it ok? It’s not ideal.

Can a teacher do this? Can a train driver do this?

We go out as a team monthly and a pint is fairly standard with lunch.

Then if I'm away hosting a client, drinks at lunchtime are also the norm

Yeah it’s really not appropriate is it? And they know it!

Broadly agree with her, but she could say we should stop kicking puppies and some people would claim she is wrong.

The House of Commons is an extremely anachronistic workplace. Votes can sometimes be very late into the night and, due to the division system, they have to remain onsite to get to the lobbies in time. I don’t think it’s terrible that politicians have a place to socialise out of the public eye, but they should have to follow strict codes of conduct and I agree that they shouldn’t be turning up for business pissed (or high for that matter).

FWIW, a lot of the ‘food subsidies’ are due to the operational hours and costs of running catering at HoP being unsustainable for a business. Essentially they are covering the losses of the catering.

Whilst I think the Greens have lost the plot, I agree with her on this.
Lunchtime drinking used to be a thing (along with smoking in offices) but times have changed. It shows the HoC and many MPs are out of touch.

I miss the 2010s when politicians worked together to try and make the country better, and our biggest political scandal was how Ed Miliband ate a bacon sandwich.

That wasn’t a political scandal, it was the media ‘banter’ deciding it was ok to tear him down.

We need our MPs and the PM to be able get on with the day job, without being harassed on social media, or being called out by colleagues via social media about what they do on their lunch break and what their breath smells of, FFS. If you miss politicians working together, perhaps don’t spend so much time endorsing these attention-seeking types, who are intent on causing disruption and division at Westminster.

Mine would be too if there were a series of subsidised bars within my place of work....

Lots of handwringing here and excuse making 'normal to have a drink on Friday lunchtime' and 'we had a pint at lunch time'

She's said people are coming back smelling of alcohol and she hasn't said its just a Friday issue. I work a job where I could have a pint at lunch, but if I came back to the office smelling of alcohol I would be questioned.

Personally these people are paid a lot of tax payers money to do their job, allegedly they work until after midnight, why are we subsidising booze for them? Maybe they could just do their jobs and go to the pub on the weekend like the rest of us?

We pay lots of people's salaries doesn't mean we control what they do.

Subsidized bars is wrong tho

They should not be drinking. What industry allows its workforce to drink during working hours these days? Those days are over. No wonder they make so may cock ups.

I think you seem like you have a problem with alcohol.

Yanbu. It would be a disciplinary action in most workplaces. I've not worked anywhere that this would be tolerated for years.

On balance I wouldn't do it but I agree making a fuss about it is a depressing sign of the times (they 100% have lunch wine in Brussels and lunch beer in the reichstag too).

It was very normal in my industry as we regularly took clients or contacts out for lunch and always drank a glass or two of wine. However I worked abroad and stopped work about 20 years ago so I imagine things have changed a bit since then although I can't imagine that the practice has entirely died out.

I'm sure that lunchtime drinking must increase the incidence of alcoholism and should not be encouraged. Alcoholism was common amongst professionals and was no doubt a result of the daily drinking culture that prevailed at the time.

I don't think alcohol should be available in the Houses of Parliament because MPs and the Lords should be setting an example to the rest of the country by choosing to restrict drinking during working hours.

Their work hours can be until after midnight.