Closing all bars on the parliamentary estate could lead to security risks for MPs, the leader of the House of Commons has said.
The famous Strangers’ Bar in the Palace of Westminster has been temporarily closed while police investigate an alleged spiking incident. It is understood to have taken place on 7 January at about 6.30pm.
The Commons leader, Lucy Powell, said on Wednesday that she supported the bar reopening after a review.
Speaking to broadcaster Matt Chorley on BBC Radio 5 Live, Powell said: “Yes, I think [Strangers’ Bar should reopen], but we definitely need to look at this and make sure we have the measures in place … so that people aren’t in the situation where they think they’ve been spiked or showing the effects of being spiked.”
She warned that MPs and their aides would be “less well protected” should they be forced to drink in pubs away from the estate.
“We could definitely have a debate on whether there should be any bars on the estate at all. I don’t feel there is a groundswell of ‘let’s shut it all down,’ she added.
“One thing I would worry about is because what does that mean … young staffers going to bars just off the estate and would be less well protected from some of these things, and MPs and others would be less protected at The Red Lion off the estate where they don’t have the security protection, the police around, and wouldn’t be covered by the ICGS (Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme).”
She said that while Westminster is a workplace, some areas of the estate are not, adding: “We spend a lot of money keeping the whole estate secure and everybody on the estate secure.
“With good reason, because there are a lot of people trying to attack MPs and attack parliament. And we’ve had incidents of that too. So that’s why we provide services on the estate.”
A spokesperson for the UK parliament previously said they were aware of the incident that is now being investigated by the Metropolitan police.
