A FORMER SNP MP has said she knows of another alleged incident at a notorious Westminster bar after it was closed due to an alleged drink spiking incident.
The former MP for Livingston, Hannah Bardell, told the Herald, she believes it is time to restrict the sale of alcohol on the parliamentary estate to combat the “old school drinking culture”.
She added that she “wouldn’t be surprised” if there had been other spiking attempts at the parliamentary pub, Strangers' Bar.
Bardell's comments follow the closure of the Westminster pub on Monday after Scotland Yard received reports of an incident on January 7.
A female parliamentary researcher reportedly alerted staff and security Strangers’ Bar to her drink having been tampered with.
“I know of at least one other woman when I was an MP who told me about a terrifying experience where a person spiked her drink,” Bardell (below) said.
“The fact we are still hearing incidents like this happening to women is horrific. House [of Commons] authorities have said they want to change things and clean up parliament but we are not seeing that.”
No arrests have been made in connection with the alleged incident.
The UK Parliament reportedly said it will not be launching its own investigation into the incident but did add it will assist police where they can.
Michelle Thomson, the SNP MSP for Falkirk East, and a former MP for Edinburgh West, told The Herald the alleged incident was “absolutely shocking” and that it highlights a “cultural problem” in Westminster.
“I should not be surprised that issues which are so prevalent in wider society also occurred in Westminster, but I am shocked,” Thomson (below) said.
“This comes on top of a number of serious sexual assault complaints in the last Parliament. "It seems clear that Westminster has a cultural issue.”
Thomson added that during her time as an MP, from 2015-2017, she was never uncomfortable in Strangers’ Bar but stated that another Commons bar, the Sports and Social Club Bar, is “one place she would never go”.
Thomson said: “It felt like a student union on a Friday night,
“Lots of young men, shouting, drinking, leering, making jokes that only they found funny. Not a safe place.”
A House of Commons spokesperson told The Herald the “safety of everyone on the estate remains a key priority of both Houses.”
The bar has since been rebranded as The Woolsack and refurbished following a series of fights and other scandals at the establishment.
Thomson has previously spoken about her own personal experiences including a serious incident of sexual assault against her.
She has previously described the impact of being raped at 14 during a House of Commons debate.
“I learned early on in my life to be wary of men,” she said. “But I think my wariness is felt by the vast majority of women. To be able to feel safe in a public social environment should be the norm but too often is the exception.
“Add this mix to a culture of power dynamics and it becomes more pervasive. Most women I knew simply chose to exclude themselves from that sort of environment.”
Following the alleged incident at Strangers’ Bar Bardell is now calling for the Parliament to restrict the sale of alcohol to “after hours”.
She specified that people should only be able to buy booze from 6pm onwards as for example, Strangers Bar is open for business from 12:30 pm on most days.
When speaking about the availability of drink at Westminster, Bardell told The Herald: “This is a hangover of a bygone era and it makes young women in particular feel more vulnerable.
“In a place where laws of the land have been made, there’s still this old school drinking culture and it’s very concerning.”
She added: “Parliament needs to drag itself out of the dark ages. It’s not a modern workplace and it makes voters lose faith if they know politicians can drink at all hours of the day.”
