House of Commons bar closed indefinitely after drink spiking allegation
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‘The safety of everyone on the estate remains a key priority of both Houses’, a House of Commons spokesperson said. A bar in the House of Commons is being closed indefinitely from Monday while security and safety arrangements are reviewed after an alleged spiking incident.
The alleged incident took place at the start of January, just after MPs returned from their long Christmas break. A House of Commons spokesperson said: “Strangers’ Bar will close from Monday 20 January while security and safety arrangements are reviewed.
“The safety of everyone on the estate remains a key priority of both Houses.”. It comes after Sir Keir Starmer warned MPs not to leave drinks unattended in parliament, describing the reports as “incredibly concerning”. His official spokesperson said it was “not sensible” for MPs to leave drinks at the bar while they go to vote, but added: “The prime minister would let people follow their own common sense on this one”.
“Women have a right to feel safe everywhere - at work, at home, in our schools”, his spokesperson said. London’s Metropolitan Police are investigating after a woman reported her drink was spiked. The woman, a parliamentary researcher, alerted bar staff and parliamentary security to the incident at around 6.30pm on 7 January.
