Green Party MP Hannah Spencer has sparked controversy after criticising the drinking culture in Parliament, saying “you can smell the alcohol when people are in between votes”. Spencer, who won the Gorton and Denton byelection in February, made the remarks in an interview with the Joe website, expressing her unease about the “unprofessional” atmosphere.
Spencer’s comments drew swift backlash from some MPs. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage responded: “The Greens are happy to legalise heroin and crack, but now we learn they think an afternoon pint is a step too far.” Green Party leader Zack Polanski defended his colleague, stating that “an afternoon pint is different to drinking on a work day and then going to vote on decisions for millions of people.”
Speaking to the Guardian, Spencer said: “I don’t think it’s much to ask for an MP to be sober when they vote on decisions that affect everyone else. I’d have been sacked at work if I did this, same goes for almost every profession, but especially working-class jobs.” She added that MPs defending the drinking culture are “out of touch”.
Labour MPs offered mixed reactions. Natalie Fleet said the smell of “fags and beer” made the Palace of Westminster “a tiny bit normal”, while Luke Charters noted that “MPs are human and sometimes have a drink”. Emily Thornberry acknowledged the drinking culture but suggested it was a coping mechanism for loneliness and long hours away from home.
Some MPs supported Spencer’s concerns. One Labour MP, who wished to remain anonymous, said she had been asked if she was pregnant when ordering orange juice instead of wine at events. Alliance Party MP Sorcha Eastwood questioned why MPs should be exempt from workplace norms, saying: “We all worked long hours, mostly on low pay and we had considerable levels of pressure.”
The debate comes after Parliament’s Strangers bar closed temporarily last year following an alleged spiking incident. Security measures have since been tightened, and the bar remains one of several subsidised venues where MPs often gather between votes.
