Event: Hannah Spencer

Hannah Spencer’s anti-alcohol puritanism is far more dangerous to public life than a tipple at the Strangers’ bar. The ‘discovery’ by new Green MP Hannah Spencer that certain members of parliament smell of alcohol during late-night sittings in Westminster – voting included – should send shockwaves through the political establishment. After all, what further evidence do we need of the dissolute degeneracy of our political elites than the knowledge that some of them enjoy a drink or two during the course of their lengthy working days? Apparently, there are also some Labour MPs who don’t like Keir Starmer… It is, alas, many years since a chancellor enjoyed a traditional alcoholic drink at the despatch box while delivering the budget – the last being Ken Clarke in 1995, who had a generous tumbler of whisky (and who was also a conspicuously more capable custodian of the British economy than the dry incumbent, Rachel Reeves). Yet most of us are aware that behind the scenes it’s not unknown for our elected representatives – and doubtlessly a peer or two – to enjoy a tipple while ruminating on affairs of state in one of the eight or nine bars in the Palace of Westminster. Well, why not? Politicians wouldn’t be human if they didn’t. Doubtlessly, they all drink a little less nowadays than they used to (as most of us do), but they still work fairly long, unsociable hours. The provision of alcoholic beverages on the premises should surely be viewed no differently from that of food or other refreshments. And an army, as Napoleon observes, marches on its stomach. I imagine that a fair number of MPs leave parliament with the slightly stale whiff of House of Commons claret on their breath. And as far as I’m concerned, I’m very content with…