You know Hannah Spencer is making an impact when she's pissed off Farage and his supporters by talking about *checks notes* MPs being drunk when casting important votes.

In an interview she mentioned the culture shock, where she turns up to vote and has to look twice as other MPs come through absolutely stinking of alcohol.

Spencer doesn't agree with it, as you couldn't in any other profession turn up drunk and be allowed to carry on working. Yet we allow MPs to vote on laws while smashed.

We also allow members of the Lords to remain and cast votes, even after they've very publicly admitted to having dementia and Alzheimer's. But that's a rant for another day.

Farage is attacking Spencer as being against an afternoon pint, while wanting to legalise heroin and crack cocaine.
Totally misrepresenting the decriminalisation of drugs argument altogether. And also lying about just how much MPs like himself are drinking on the job.

That is at least on the days he turns up.

Now this talk of MPs drinking on the job may be news to some. Especially those who have started engaging in politics because of the threat Reform are posing, or because they've become inspired by the messages of the Greens.
But some MPs have spoken out about the Westminster drinking culture for years.

The one I instantly think of, is Dennis Skinner. He was extremely outspoken about MPs drinking on the job. He made a point to not even take subsidised meals. Only a cup of tea from the canteen.

As Skinner put it, when he was a miner and working down in the coal pits, if someone came down stinking of ale then they wouldn't be there long. They would be removed, sent home, and if it was a first offence then docked a day's pay.

That profession isn't alone. I can't think of many where you would be allowed to stagger around, and carry on as normal.
In fact in some you would be considered such a liability, that you would face suspension, termination, and possibly criminal negligence charges.

So why on Earth MPs are allowed to cast votes on matters that impact over 60 million people while hammered is absurd.

Spencer was right on the money, as was Skinner. In fact my one regret is that she didn't go far enough.
Mhairi Black for example since stepping down as an MP, has spoken about how the culture at Westminster effectively encourages drinking.

To use the example Mhairi Black gave. If you're down in Westminster, and you're scheduled to vote at 11pm. But you've done all your work by around 7pm.
The temptation is to go and kill time with a pint, rather than sit around in the office twiddling your thumbs. And one pint so very easily can become a second pint, and then spiral to too many pints.

It's especially more tempting when your drinks are heavily subsided.

Let's also not overlook the bad behaviour linked to MPs drinking during their work hours.

Former Tory MPs Ross Thomson and Aaron Bell were accused of sexually assaulting their colleagues while drunk in Parliamentary bars.

There was also disgraced former Labour MP Eric Joyce, who was banned at various times due to instigating fights after he'd had a few.
He admitted to alcoholism. Although that I think was only after he was discovered to be having an affair with a 16-year-old campaign worker.

And speaking of alcoholism, the issue of addictions forming or being exacerbated by the Westminster drinking culture are too often overlooked.

The name I instantly think of, is former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy.
He was just 23 when he was first elected to Parliament. And the combination of boredom and loneliness after being away from his home in his North of Scotland constituency, saw him trying to fill those voids by spending his free time in the Westminster bars and clubs.

By the time he was elected as Liberal Democrat leader at the age of 39, he was a well known figure in the bars. He had to admit he was struggling with alcoholism, after excusing his failures to turn up to important events and poor performances as leader that he was blaming on things like stomach bugs.

His issues with the drink brought an end to his leadership, and subsequently cost him his life not long after he was unseated in 2015 at the age of 55. When he suffered a major haemorrhage.

Charles Kennedy isn't the only MP I can name who had problems with alcohol abuse, which weren't helped with access to numerous bars and subsidised drinks that were available while they were there to do their jobs.

Labour's Neil Coyle has been open about his issues with alcoholism, and how the drinking culture at Westminster has exacerbated issues. He's called it problematic.

Dan Carden who was an alcoholic before entering Parliament, has also raised a very important point in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Where it was clear that some MPs were struggling with their drinking pattern being disrupted due to the Parliamentary bars staying shut or under heavy restriction.

The issue being that it's impossible for MPs to go and seek counselling for their addiction. As it would inevitably be leaked out, and used to brief against them.