Drinking on the job. Hannah Spencer criticised after raising bar concerns.

Luckily this isn’t what’s happening.

The bars are not subsidised, the tax payers aren’t funding it and a whole host of people use them, not just MPs.
Personally I’d prefer my MP to be focussing on ensuring convicted rapists receive custodial sentences rather than a slap on the wrist. Has Hannah said anything about this yet?

If they are in the bar, they aren’t actually working! Plus being at Westminster is a tiny fraction of the work they do. Lots of it is committees, commenting on proposed legislation, meeting constituents, making visits and a whole host of other things. Plenty don’t go to the House of Commons daily. Look at the benches! Are they full? Such ludicrous comments. Are they drunk! Of course not. We just want everyone to conform to pious expectations. They are allowed down time and plenty of people do this when they might have to work late and pop out to the pub for a quick drink. If she doesn’t like it, she can avoid the bar.

It’s yet another reason why we have poor quality MPs. The money is poor and everyone complains about them getting a cheep pint! Who would find up a good job to be scrutinised like this? Not many these days.

I'm not happy with serious laws being voted on while they can be drunk.

I'm not happy we pay £6 million in tax to subside their cheap drinks.

I'm not happy women are being assaulted and harassed because drinking alcohol at the office is so normalised for them.

Yeah what’s she like! I think we should all be allowed to drink at work, its only fair!

A report from that independent complaints commission did find that alcohol was a factor in a significant number of complaints relating to bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct.

I’d be interested in knowing what was being done to address this.

An absolutely vast amount of hospitality goes on in Parliament- MPs having receptions for charities, major local employers etc. Very little of it is MPs getting pissed by themselves or with each other. Other roles that involve relationships and networking are similar- big companies, law firms etc often have in-house hospitality services, including alcohol.

If they didn't have bars on the Parliamentary estate, they'd all be fighting to book out the nearest ones in Westminster (which London office workers wouldn't thank them for) and it would be a security nightmare too.

So I do think it's a deeply unserious idea- and a sign that the MP concerned arrived in Parliament without a good understanding of the range of activities MPs undertake.

If people are drinking excessively- and especially if they're then behaving badly afterwards- that's an obviously different point. Fortunately there's now a well-established independent complaint scheme in place to drive out unacceptable behaviour.

A independent report stated that alcohol contributed to complaints regarding bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct in the Houses of Parliament.

I suspect some people are struggling to see past the fact that this has been raised by Hannah Spencer and that’s stopping them admitting that she might have point.

You don’t have to support the Green Party to think that a work culture where drinking alcohol on the premises is causing issues around bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct is problematic.

@Bezziebev Because it doesn’t need to make a profit. No rent or council tax. Just bar staff I assume do it’s not like a commercial bar. Frankly, we’ve got more important things to think about but this silly women thought the bar was a top priority!? We elect idiots.

Although it is unusual in many jobs and organisations, people do have pub lunches and mid day pints still in my workplace and the workplace i was in before
Personally I dont because a glass of wine would make me sleepy but its not against the law and where do we draw the line in dictating what people can orcannot do?

Seperate issue is the subsidised element- why is it subsidised thats not right...

I think it’s a pious Green story about nothing. Live and let live. She’s not the brightest. It’s not a hill to die on and no one is drunk.