Pints and Power: Hannah Spencer Calls Out Parliament’s Drinking Culture

Image - House of Commons

On February 26th, Hannah Spencer won the by-election in Gorton and Denton having secured an impressive 40.7% of the vote, becoming the Green Party’s first MP in northern England and the first Green to ever win a parliamentary by-election.

Having taken her seat in the House of Commons on March 2, Spencer is Parliament’s newest arrival. A councillor for Hale ward since 2023, she was originally a plumber and plasterer by trade, meaning she entered Westminster with a markedly different background to many of her colleagues. By no means is Spencer a career politician, and she admitted to not having been prepared for the atmosphere she has since been a witness to within the Commons.

In an interview with PoliticsJoe, Spencer expressed her concerns over the disingenuous nature of proceedings within the House of Commons, characterising it as a ‘façade.’ She likened the chamber to ‘a pantomime, it's like a laugh and a joke’. Reflecting on her first impressions, she described herself as both shocked and frustrated by the atmosphere: ‘we’re making decisions about people’s lives, but I could barely hear’.

For Spencer, the issue extended beyond performative debate to the wider working culture of Westminster itself. Discussing Parliament’s bar and tea rooms, she told the interviewer that the consumption of alcohol throughout the day is something she feels ‘really uneasy about’. She commented on the fact that members often sit around having a drink throughout the day and flagged that this would not be acceptable in any other occupation or profession:

‘That is what I found very out of touch. The vast majority of us that have come from backgrounds of normal jobs that's not how the world works, so why does it work in somewhere where arguably the most important decisions get made’.

Her remarks provoked immediate backlash across the political spectrum. Despite this, when interviewed by The Guardian, Spencer defended her comments, stating:

‘I don’t think it's too much to ask for an MP to be sober when they vote on decisions that affect everyone else. I’d have been sacked at work if I did this, same goes for almost every profession, but especially working-class jobs. MPs defending this and lecturing me are the exact reason I’ve been saying this place is full of people who are out of touch’.

Not only do Spencer’s comments raise concerns about drinking on the job, they also contribute to a longer standing criticism about the detached nature of those within Parliament from the electorate they are supposed to represent. The Green MP is not disputing that members have a right to enjoy themselves and even shared on Instagram that she ‘loves a blue WKD as much as the next hun’. Her argument is clear: if MPs are expected to legislate for working people, should they not also be held to standards expected in ordinary workplaces? Save the pints for the weekend!

Her statements were echoed by public opinion, as a YouGov poll found that 52% of the British public thought it was completely unacceptable for MPs to drink alcohol on evenings when late‑night votes were being held in Parliament. At a time when trust in political institutions remains fragile, perceptions of MPs enjoying subsidised drinks while making consequential decisions for the country risks enforcing the idea of Westminster as an elitist institution disconnected from public life.

Criticism has only intensified because of Parliament’s privileges. The Stranger’s Bar within the Palace of Westminster allows members to enjoy a glass of wine from as little as £2.75 in the heart of the capital. Attention has also particularly been drawn to the partially subsidised Members’ Dining Room menu in which MPs can enjoy steak and chips for just £9.19. During a prolonged cost-of-living crisis, such privileges can appear politically tone-deaf, making voters question whether their MP actually understands their struggles in day-to-day life.

Although Hannah Spencer was not the first to highlight the issues around drinking in parliament, her comments reignited public debate around accountability and behaviour in public office. With alcohol so easily accessible, it is no surprise that so many incidents of drunk and disorderly behaviour have been recorded within Parliament. One notable incident occurred in 2019, when Conservative Minister Michael Gove appeared visibly intoxicated in the Commons in 2019 during an important debate. Gove’s stumbling attracted public attention, with some Twitter users calling for the closure of the subsidised bar and random alcohol and drug tests to take place. Additionally, in 2023, a Parliament watchdog found that based on 30 investigations, ‘alcohol consumption in parliamentary bars often resulted in intimidating actions, including shouting and swearing’. They also flagged issues of positions of power being abused against junior members of staff.

If alcohol contributes to harassment, bullying, and abuses of authority within Parliament, the issue becomes one not simply of public image, but of institutional responsibility. Westminster has faced repeated criticism in recent years over toxic working environments, allegations of misconduct, and failures to protect staff. Spencer’s comments therefore intersect with broader questions about safeguarding, professionalism, and whether Parliament has modernised with the times or remains outdated.

The reaction from fellow MPs revealed a divide in attitudes towards parliamentary conduct. Some of her colleagues took to X to voice their frustrations against her position, or even outright dismissed her comments. The Labour MP for Bolsover, Natalie Fleetwood, directly reposted the interview, adding the comment that ‘Working in a palace is mad. It’s part of the job I struggle most with. Smell of fags & beer at 10pm are one of things that make it seem tiny bit normal’. Her words were echoed by that of Luke Charters, the MP for York Outer, who mockingly posted ‘Breaking news: MPs are humans and sometimes have a drink’. He accused the Green MP of ‘classic clickbait farming’ in order to gain support and ‘distract us’ from the ‘Greens’ wacky policies.’

To Spencer and her supporters, this defence reflects precisely the kind of exceptionalism that distances Westminster from ordinary life. The idea that politicians defend their own right to drink at work, but would dismiss other public service workers for doing the same contributes to the political hypocrisy many voters feel disillusioned by.

In contrast, Spencer found support from the Northern Irish MP, Sorcha Eastwood, who challenged Charters comments. Having worked in manufacturing, the health service, construction and in Tesco, she argued that in all these jobs, it would never have been permitted for her to drink at work. Eastwood commented that ‘this completely out of touch attitude sums up perfectly why this entitled government are so unpopular. If an NHS worker drank on shift they'd be sacked. It's clear so many of them have never worked an ordinary job in their lives’. This echoed Spencer’s claims that far too many Members of Parliament are simply ‘not in touch with the people they’re representing’.

As one of a growing number of MPs entering Parliament from non-traditional professional backgrounds, Spencer’s comments expose an ongoing tension between Westminster customs and public expectations. Her critique reflects a wider appetite for politicians perceived as more representative of “ordinary” working life. The current Parliament has the largest number of MPs to not attend private school in its history, more representative of the country as a whole, but Westminster still has a lot of work to do to feel accessible and relatable to the average person.

Ultimately, the debate surrounding Parliament’s drinking culture raises uncomfortable but necessary questions. Should Westminster preserve traditions that many view as outdated, or should MPs be held to the same professional standards that other professions are held to? Spencer’s comments struck a nerve precisely because they challenged practices many within Parliament have long accepted as normal. Whether changes will occur in light of her words is uncertain, but it is now evident that the calls are coming from inside the House for a reconnection to public life.

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