Closing Parliament's bars may threat MPs' security, says Lucy Powell

Lucy Powell says she is joyful to debate “whether or not there ought to be any bars” in parliament

Closing all of Parliament’s bars may result in higher safety dangers for MPs, the chief of the Home of Commons has steered.

Lucy Powell mentioned she was open to “having a debate” on the way forward for ingesting venues on the Parliamentary property after one bar was briefly closed for a safety evaluation linked to an alleged drink-spiking incident.

However she argued that MPs and workers would go to venues outdoors Parliament’s safe zone if bars, eating places, hair salons and different services have been shut down.

She informed BBC Radio 5Live’s Matt Chorley mentioned “there isn’t any level spending the tens of millions of kilos” on safety if workers have been inspired to depart the property.

Parliament’s most well-known pub, the Strangers’ Bar, is at the moment shut whereas police examine a report a lady had her drink spiked on 7 January.

Powell mentioned she was in favour of reopening Strangers following a evaluation of its safety preparations.

“We undoubtedly want to take a look at this and ensure we’ve the measures in place in order that persons are not within the scenario the place they suppose they’ve been spiked or displaying the results of being spiked,” Powell mentioned.

She mentioned she was open to having a public debate “on whether or not there ought to be any bars on the property in any respect”.

However not the entire sprawling eight-acre (32,000 sq-m) Palace of Westminster is a office, she informed Matt Chorley, and there have been a number of venues serving alcohol for MPs and their visitors.

She mentioned she didn’t “get the sense that there is a groundswell” of assist for closing these down.

Within the night members of workers and others who “may need a drink” are “not at work at that time,” she argued.

She mentioned they’d MPs be much less properly protected attending venues “the place they haven’t acquired the safety safety”, she added.

“They haven’t acquired police round” and would additionally not be lined by the Unbiased Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) – which investigates allegations of sexual misconduct and bullying by parliamentary workers.

The ICGS has beforehand argued parliament’s bars and related tradition of ingesting fuels inappropriate behaviour in Westminster.

Parliament had elevated safety “with good purpose” as a result of “there are lots of people making an attempt to assault MPs and assault Parliament” she mentioned.

“That’s the reason we offer companies on the property.

“There isn’t any level spending the tens of millions of kilos we spend retaining everybody safe and on this property – if we then really simply encourage folks to pop off to go and get their hair lower or have lunch with a journalist off the property.”