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Should our MPs and their staff be allowed to drink (alcohol) during their working day?

(116 Posts)
Oldnproud Mon 20-Dec-21 08:50:59

I'm just curious to know what the general view is of this.

A small drink over lunch might still be considered ok in some jobs, but in many jobs not even that would be allowed.

Our MPs and civil servants, especially those in higher-up positions, have very important decisions to make. Personally, I have come round to thinking that such decisions should be taken by people who are totally sober.

I know they work very long days, but adding alcohol to tiredness can't help with decision-making can it?

And then there are those important working lunches/dinners. Again, should the alcohol be flowing freely?

As for the subsidised bars in the Houses of Parliament ...!

In case anyone is wondering, I am not anti-alcohol per se. I love a drink myself, but not when there is important work to be done.

lemongrove Tue 21-Dec-21 21:40:14

EllanVannin

The French like their fags too lemongrove

?

growstuff Tue 21-Dec-21 21:41:39

lemongrove

Galaxy ......you know as well as I do that all this faux puritanical outrage is just aimed at the Conservative government. It has to be, all the pursed lips and tut tutting that’s going on are simply too ridiculous.
wine Cheers!?

It's not puritanical outrage to think that a country's leaders should follow the rules they wrote themselves and which they expect others to follow.

Kali2 Tue 21-Dec-21 21:46:43

The 'fags' are much more a part of those Public School Boys' history than the French - anyway they are called 'cloppes' in French.

Faux puritanical outrage, lol, I just about spat a bit of my good Malt on my 'puter!

growstuff Tue 21-Dec-21 21:55:14

It would appear to be true that the population as a whole, especially young people, is drinking less alcohol:

alcoholchange.org.uk/alcohol-facts/fact-sheets/alcohol-statistics

Galaxy Tue 21-Dec-21 22:01:03

Not for me though lemongrove no tut tutting, it's just made me think about work and alcohol and how things have changed. And about those people from many years ago who were collapsing in front of everyone's eyes and in a small village people doing bugger all about it. I hope that would be different now although 'helping' in those circumstances is probably nearly impossible.

trisher Tue 21-Dec-21 22:09:31

Isn't it funny though a post about a single Christmas lunch when. teacher might have a drink was immediately followed by posts about alcholic teachers. Do people not realise that alcoholism is an illness and there are probably still alcoholics teaching? That it is nothing to do with having an occasional drink. Functioning alcoholics quite often don't drink socially.
As for the post about attacking the government I take every opporttunity to do so but really drinking alcohol isn't party political. Every party has had its share of boozy MPs.
Churchill was castigated for being drunk, everyone knows the story. Charles Kennedy was one of the best politicians and being an alcoholic ruined his career it didn't make him a bad MP.

Galaxy Tue 21-Dec-21 22:12:56

I think at the end it impacted his abilities I am afraid Trisher, and it's certainly affected the view people had of him I am afraid. He was very popular but if people had been asked questions about trust and reliability I think the answers might have been interesting.

NfkDumpling Wed 22-Dec-21 08:16:41

I worked at three places at least where lengthy business meeting lunches were the norm. It was often the only way that different organisations could get together. And it was inevitably a light lunch (possibly cheese included) and a bottle of wine or two. The relaxed atmosphere got things decided and done. As to whether it happens nowadays I don't know having retired some time ago, but the Civil Service was known for being rather behind the times when it comes to administrative customs.

sodapop Wed 22-Dec-21 08:47:18

EllanVannin

The French like their fags too lemongrove

Rather sweeping generalisation there EllanVannin

lemongrove Wed 22-Dec-21 09:03:37

Kali2

The 'fags' are much more a part of those Public School Boys' history than the French - anyway they are called 'cloppes' in French.

Faux puritanical outrage, lol, I just about spat a bit of my good Malt on my 'puter!

Really? Isn’t that rather dangerous....Should you be drinking alcohol in charge of a computer? ??

trisher Wed 22-Dec-21 09:35:28

Galaxy

I think at the end it impacted his abilities I am afraid Trisher, and it's certainly affected the view people had of him I am afraid. He was very popular but if people had been asked questions about trust and reliability I think the answers might have been interesting.

Charles Kennedy led the Liberal party to its most succesful period in Parliament. He maintained and even increased his majority until the 2015 election when he was defeated by the Scottish Nationalists, so his constituents obviously didn't doubt his abilities, as his drinking problem was widely known before then.

Kali2 Wed 22-Dec-21 10:36:14

LOL Lemon - we were all quite safe really! Thanks.

This thread is not about alcohol or no alcohol- but alcohol at work. And yes, Trisher, we always had a glass of sherry and a glass of wine at our school Christmas Dinners - sadly the Head had to be ushered away to his office as soon as lunch was over, and his door guarded by Senior Staff.

M0nica Wed 22-Dec-21 18:08:33

The respect and loyalty Charles Kennedy engendered can be measured by the extent to which his colleagues went to support him and help him in his role as party leader and to defeat his demons. Far beyond where, such support would normally stop.

Anyone remember George Brown, in the 1960s? I think the phrase 'tired and emotional' was coined to hide his behaviour, when drunk and a minister in Harold Wilson's government.

Grandmabatty Wed 22-Dec-21 18:25:49

Monica that's who I meant in my post! I think he was well known for being drink taken in the 60s

Lovetopaint037 Sat 08-Jan-22 23:17:17

How would you feel if a your surgeon went for a drink or two before working on you? When Parliament is sitting decisions are being made which effect our lives. They are supposed to be speaking for us, the voters. Not filling themselves with discounted alcohol.