MPs swap booze for soft drinks

Whither the future of parliament’s pubs? It was less than three months ago that Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Sue Gray reportedly wanted to close permanently all of Westminster’s watering holes – including the famous Strangers’ Bar – to stop novice MPs falling prey to the House of Commons’ historic drinking culture. But eight weeks after Labour’s stonking election, Mr S hears that the new boys and girls are demonstrating something of a puritanical streak themselves.

Among long-time veterans of the Strangers’ Bar, there is consternation and surprise at the new-found popularity of alcohol-free replacements in place of old favourites. Pints of Estrella Galicia 0.0 per cent and Guinness 0 are among the favoured tipples among certain new members, amid talk of a new puritanical fervour sweeping parliament. Steerpike has done some digging and it transpires that a quarter of all the 689 orders at Strangers’ in the first month of the new parliament for were non-alcoholic drinks.