Alcohol and drugs ‘suffocate’ the British Parliament

We can say that if the British Parliament had a motto it would be “Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll”. Why; For the simple reason of repeated complaints of alcohol consumption, drug use, pornographic surveillance, sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior of MPs and employees inside government buildings.

After all, the fines for “Partygate”, which yesterday exceeded 100, prove the general culture in Westminster and unfortunately just the tip of the iceberg of scandals.

It is noteworthy that in March alone, 9 cases of extreme alcohol consumption were recorded in Westminster, while 5 of these cases involved people under the influence of drugs.

In fact, attention is focused on the pub that exists inside the Parliament building, which in fact has very low prices for its products, where it is common for MPs, staff, lobbyists and journalists to hold their meetings with a drink.

The scandals and the resignations of deputies

However, alcohol is not the only problem. Last December, the Times revealed that traces of drugs were found in almost all of Westminster’s toilets, with cocaine use being repeatedly exposed. After all, the resignations of the deputies are not few due to immoral behaviors and legal violations.

Two weeks ago, Conservative MP Neil Paris resigned from the party as he was caught watching pornographic material inside Parliament. A few days before the incident, his colleague and also Conservative MP, Imran Ahmad Khan, was forced to resign as he was found guilty by a court of sexually harassing a 15-year-old boy years ago. Labor MP Liam Byrne was ousted from parliament for two days for bullying staff.

Speaking on Times Radio on Thursday, Undersecretary of Justice Victoria Atkins said that “the House of Commons is not a place to sleep at night, nor a place to drink alcohol and go out of its way, it is a place of work.”

The reactions of MPs and the need for change

On the same wavelength is the Minister of Defense, Ben Wallace, who emphasizes that “this is a problem of the general culture that exists in the House of Commons” and adds that “my advice to every Member is to avoid bars and when he finishes his work to goes straight home “.

The Speaker of the British Parliament, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, is calling for drastic changes and is preparing a new regulation to oversee the conduct of officials. Among other things, he proposed the creation of an independent system for the recruitment of Parliament staff and an independent committee that will examine the complaints.

Zoe Katzagiannaki, London

Source: Deutsche Welle

Source: Capital

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