MPs would face security risks frequenting pubs outside Parliament if all bars on the estate were closed, the leader of the House of Commons has suggested.
Lucy Powell said she was in favour of reopening the Palace of Westminster’s most famous bar, the Stranger’s Bar, which is temporarily closed as police investigate a spiking incident.
The regular haunt of MPs and parliamentary staff closed on Monday while security arrangements were reviewed, after Scotland Yard received reports of an incident there on January 7.
A woman, a parliamentary researcher, alerted security and staff in the bar to her drink having been tampered with, according to Politico, which first reported the incident.
Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell has said MPs face security risks drinking in pubs outside of parliament (Lucy North/PA)
Asked if she wanted to see the bar reopened following the review, Ms Powell replied: “Yes.”
Speaking to Matt Chorley on BBC Radio 5 Live, the Commons leader added: “I think so, but look 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.”
While she acknowledged there could be a public debate “on whether there should be any bars on the estate at all”, she did not think there is “a groundswell of ‘let’s shut it all down’”.
Ms Powell 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 (The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme).”
The ICGS is a system set up by the Houses of Parliament to investigate inappropriate behaviour on the parliamentary estate, including bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct.
MPs, Lords and employees who work in Parliament are covered by its remit.
While Westminster is a workplace, some areas of the estate are not, Ms Powell also said.
Ms Powell added: “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.”