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

It was absolutely the norm to have a drink at lunchtime when I worked in the city. Especially on a Friday.

I can’t get too worked up about it. A glass of wine at lunchtime isn’t going to affect anything. It isn’t as though they wander into the chamber undecided how to vote anyway, is it. They pretty much all toe the party line and file through the door the whip tells them to.

If somebody were actually drunk or habitually drinking heavily, then yes, that would be an issue. But the odd glass with lunch is neither here nor there.

Oh if bankers are doing it, it must be OK then. Bankers have never put a foot wrong and have always had the UK's best interests at heart.

Reports of hard drugs, specifically cocaine, being found in toilets within the House of Commons and the wider Parliamentary estate have emerged multiple times over the past decade. Seeing as there has pretty much only been one Green MP in Parliament over the past decade, it's highly likely that MPs from other parties are responsible for the drug taking in the House of Commons.

Alcohol at lunch was definitely normal into this 2000s. I imagine it still happens in the City (insurance was famous for getting pissed all the time).

Totally agree with her, and that if the rest of us did it, we’d get the sack.

Especially other public sector workers!

MPs have been elected to do a job and represent their constituents, not have boozy subsidised lunches. It’s really disgraceful and they shouldn’t need to be forced to give it up, they should realise for themselves.

It definitely was more normal (in some industries it was very much the norm until the noughties) but that doesn’t mean it was OK.

Smoking was once normal.

I also think people who are literally making the law should be held to a higher standard.

Lunchtime drinks are still very common in the city. Personally I can’t get upset about this. But maybe it’s because I’m in an industry where socialising is very much considered part of the job.

I was a teacher from the mid 1990s. It did happen, on the odd occasion, that we would go to the pub on a Friday lunchtime. Have a pint of lager or glass of wine with our pub lunch.

But this was back in the day when Friday afternoons in primary schools were Free Choice or Golden Time. Those days are long gone.

The drinking culture in the HofC is outdated and not fit for a workplace. It’s all part of the Old Boys Club.

It’s ridiculous that MPs have subsidised food and drink. In the time of a cost of living crisis, we pay for them to drink cheaper alcohol during their working hours.

You realise decrimilisation of drugs if done alongside support and in a controlled manner ends up with less deaths and more people entering rehab.

It also takes money out of hands of traffickers, as well as stopping people entering a criminal world by consuming drugs.
Given that alcohol is the number one drug killing people. And resulting in the most antisocial behaviour, I would have thought you would be all for more control on it..

Agreed...

There are plenty of bars and pubs within a very short walk of Parliament so shutting the in-house facilities won't stop the determined drinkers nipping out and then nipping back to the HoC for a vote..

Maybe there needs to be a breathalyser at the doors of the division lobbies..

Pretty much most offices I’ve worked in London we’d have a pint on a Friday lunch time 🤷‍♀️

It was definitely a thing when I worked in London in the 90’s - but yes we should expect more from our MP’s

CS here, we would be fired if it was found we’d had alcohol at lunchtime. Not even allowed it at Christmas.

one rule for them…

Exactly. It's objectively not a good thing to be taking decisions that affect the whole country after drinking a few pints in one of the many bars in the House of Commons but MPs from other political parties are objecting simply because a Green Party MP has raised this issue.

Surely she should have something to say about the environment, though? If you dont like the word policy, then maybe 'want to persuade the larger parties that the environment is important to consider when debating Bills'?

My job is part of the Civil Service and if I drank at lunch time, I would most definitely be sacked. Plus we’re so overworked and understaffed we don’t often get time for a lunch break and so underpaid that we couldn’t afford to drink at lunch time 😡.

I am 45 and used to go to the pub at lunchtime in my first jobs.

I think it’s appalling that MPs drink whilst on duty. Especially as a lot of really important votes can be quite late at night by which time they could easily have had far too much (if they are problem drinkers)

Definitely needs to stop.

I agree with her. It’s outdated and unprofessional. How productive are they going to be after lunch if they’ve been drinking.

At the least MPs should pay an unsubsidised price for alcohol, that anachronism has lasted far too long.