‘INCREDIBLY CONCERNING’

U.K. Parliament’s Bar to Close as Police Probe Spiked Drinks

A parliamentary researcher alerted bar staff in early January that her drink had been tampered with.

A bar inside Britain’s Parliament is being closed after allegations of a drink being spiked, The Guardian reported. Strangers’ Bar, which offers subsidized drinks to members of Parliament, staff and visitors inside the Palace of Westminster, had already become notorious for drunken behavior. On Jan. 7, a parliamentary researcher reported to the staff that her drink had been tampered with, Politico reported earlier this week. On Wednesday, Metropolitan Police told Politico they were investigating the incident but hadn’t made any arrests. Starting next Monday, the bar will close for a safety review. “The safety of everyone on the estate remains a key priority of both houses,” a spokesperson for the House of Commons told The Guardian. The drinking culture at Westminster has come under fire in recent years, with one watchdog group calling it a “frequent factor” in cases of workplace harassment and abuse. Some members of Parliament even reportedly leave their drinks unattended at the bar while they go vote, then return to them after. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Politico that particular habit was “clearly… not sensible” and described the spiked drink as “incredibly concerning.”