MPs are drinking so much in Parliament they are having their stomachs pumped, with alcohol “deeply embedded” in Westminster culture, a report has warned.
Alcohol is freely available all day within Westminster and drinking a commonplace pastime, according to the Institute of Alcohol Studies.
Authors warned the drinking culture is causing “real, measurable harm, and no clear route to address it” after surveying 190 MPs about the issue.
In the survey of 190 MPs and their staff, nearly 10 per cent of respondents described a negative experience due to someone else’s drinking at work. The most common were unwanted sexual attention and harassment, insults or humiliation.
Younger staff face additional risks due to “ingrained power dynamics and increased peer pressure to drink alcohol”, the report added.
It comes amid rising concerns over drinking in Westminster and a string of incidents that included a parliamentary researcher allegedly having her drink spiked at Parliament’s infamous Strangers’ Bar.
Green Party MP for Gorton and Denton, Hannah Spencer, criticised Westminster’s drinking culture in April this year, calling it “unprofessional and worrying,” accusing some MPs of drinking before voting.
Dr Beccy Cooper, MP for Worthing West, said: “This report is a wake-up call, but also an opportunity. Westminster is changing for the better, and this is our chance to make sure our own workplace lives up to the standards we ask of everyone else. A modern Parliament should be one that support the health and wellbeing of everyone who works here.”
The survey found:
- 42 per cent of MPs and 29 per cent of Westminster -based staff said they were offered alcohol at a work meeting or event on a weekly basis
- Almost six in ten respondents said alcohol was more available in Westminster than in other workplaces they had experienced.
- Interviewees described being handed wine at breakfast events and, at times, struggling to find a soft drink without leaving the room. One staff member said: “No other workplace I’ve had produces its own wine.
The report described the easy accessibility of alcohol on the Parliament estate.
“The availability of alcohol was seen to encourage unhealthy behaviour in general, from affecting colleagues’ sleep and stress levels to potentially normalising high-risk drinking, with one MP referring to colleagues having had their stomachs pumped in hospital and going back into Westminster the following day,” it said.
“A staff member warned of the temporary sense of relaxation alcohol provided from the daily stresses of the job without addressing the underlying issues.”
When asked about how to improve the situation, most survey participants said they accepted that alcohol would be present in parliament, such as in on-site bars, but did not have to be freely available at all hours.
Dr Katherine Severi, Chief Executive of the Institute of Alcohol Studies, said: “Parliament has modernised in many ways over recent years, but our findings suggest there is still work to do to ensure it is a healthy, safe and inclusive place to work.
“MPs and staff interviewed for this study made constructive, common-sense recommendations, such as limiting the provision of free alcohol to evening events and improving support and signposting for people experiencing alcohol problems while working in Parliament.”
“This is also a policy issue. If alcohol remains unusually central to the working culture of Parliament, there is a risk that the scale of alcohol harm across the UK is not seen as clearly as it should be.
“A healthier parliamentary workplace would support the people who work there and help create the conditions for more serious, evidence-based action on alcohol harm.”
A UK Parliament spokesperson said: “Any changes to Parliament's provision of alcohol would ultimately be a matter for Members to decide on. The estate is a unique working environment that includes public access and events, with our catering outlets and spaces serving thousands of customers each week. Whilst alcohol is available in some venues, Parliament does not provide free alcohol to those attending events - where alcohol is served, it is typically purchased either by event organisers as part of a package or by attendees themselves, with a wide range of low and no-alcohol alternatives also available.
“All members of the Parliamentary community have been reminded about the rules governing the responsible consumption of alcohol. Parliament's Behaviour Code makes clear that everyone should be treated with respect at all times, and those who choose to drink alcohol on the estate must do so responsibly. Our venues can refuse service where someone is, or is likely to become, intoxicated.”
It added confidential support for alcohol-related issues is available to Members and staff, and Parliament has introduced measures to promote responsible alcohol consumption, including expanding alcohol-free options and training staff in responsible alcohol sales.
This story was updated with a comment from the UK Parliament.
