Green MP Shouted Down In PMQs As She Calls For Alcohol Ban In Parliament

A Green MP was shouted down in the Commons as she revived her calls for an alcohol ban in parliament.

Hannah Spencer, elected in the Gorton and Denton by-election in February, raised the hot topic issue when making her first ever intervention in prime minister’s questions (PMQs) on Wednesday.

“In Gorton and Denton we have to pay full price for our pints, but here, for some reason, it’s cheaper,” she said.

“Some MPs drink before voting and that really shocked me when I came to parliament, because it is our workplace.

“Does the prime minister agree with his own MPs who have defended their right to drink cheap alcohol at work, or does he agree with me that MPs shouldn’t be drinking on the job given we vote on huge things like the climate crisis, disabled people’s rights, housing, child poverty?”

But Spencer was regularly interrupted by irate MPs while asking the question.

The chamber’s microphones picked up a couple of stray voices saying “get a life” and “sort your policies out” to the Gorton and Denton MP.

Spencer had already caused a stir by questioning the drinking culture in Westminster last month when she told PoliticsJoe: “You can smell the alcohol when people are in between votes.”

Keir Starmer did not tell Spencer whether or not he agreed with a cutback on drinking in his response.

The prime minister said: “There are going to be different views on whether people can enjoy a drink here or not.

“But I think we can agree that the majority of people in this country want an economy that works for them, public services that are there when they need them, and every child going as far as their talent or ability will take them.”

The PM then turned the comment into an attack on Green leader Zack Polanski, who had to apologise last week after he was accused of not paying council tax on his houseboat in London.

Starmer said: “The Greens think that their leader walks on water. Turns out, he just lives on water and doesn’t pay his council tax!”

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