In defence of boozy MPs

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 that. Because MPs aren’t operating heavy machinery, igniting hazardous chemicals or piloting Boeing 747s through congested airspace. They’re doing politics: they’re gossiping, they’re negotiating and, of course, they’re voting – though on matters that, I suspect, many have a settled position on, regardless of whether they are as sober as a self-righteous Green-MP, as drunk as a lord or as high as Jim Morrison in low Earth orbit.

So as long as they can make it into the correct division lobby, I’m happy. Far happier, in fact, than I am with being legislated over by teetotal puritans or individuals like Hannah Spencer, who presumably regard ‘the drink’ as a societal aberration.

I fear that if MPs like Spencer had their way, they would close down the bars in the Palace of Westminster and insist on MPs doing breathalyser tests before entering the chamber or casting their vote. Even though her party is in favour of making crack cocaine and heroin available on the NHS. And what next? Ban MPs from sitting whose BMI is too high because they are setting a bad example?

On the contrary, I would argue that having a glass of something refreshing is no bad thing as the evening stretches out for our MPs. How better to relieve the grinding daily pressure of political life than with a drink or two? It’s certainly more convenient and less time-consuming than popping off for a bit of Pilates or yoga. Or perhaps the Greens think stressed MPs should have recourse to CBD oil? (Or maybe they think MPs should nip out for a stroll along the Thames and smoke something stronger?)

For all its ills, one of the virtues of booze is the immediate, fairly predictable and transitory nature of its effects – if not on your breath. What’s more, if anything, it promotes honesty and directness of speech, neither of which is surely unhelpful in politics. Which perhaps prompts the question: would our politics be better if our politicians had a little more in vino veritas in their lives, not less?

I’ll leave that question for you to judge but let us not forget that our history is full of great ‘drinking’ parliamentarians, from Winston Churchill all the way back to Pitt the Younger – the former saved the world from Nazism and probably would have failed the breathalyser by one o’clock every day of his life, and the latter orchestrated Europe’s victory over Napoleon, all while enjoying two bottles of wine a day.

In the interests of balance, we should not forget that we’ve also had some superb teetotal MPs, too – not least the late, great Tony Benn, who once told me proudly that he’d drunk enough tea to float the Queen Mary. He was also a staunch admirer of ‘Winston’ and I don’t imagine he ever questioned his intake.

While no one thinks that MPs should be ‘drunk at the wheel’, we should acknowledge and respect their right to use their judgement as they see fit. And if that extends to enjoying a glass or two if they wish when they are working of an evening or over lunch, so be it.

To think any different, in my view, is to trespass over the boundaries of individual freedom and is, frankly, a little green.

Alec Marsh is a journalist and author of the Drabble and Harris historical thriller series, published by Headline.