LONDON — Police are investigating after a woman reported having her drink spiked in one of the bars on the U.K.’s parliamentary estate, POLITICO has learned.
The alleged incident took place in Stranger’s Bar in the Palace of Westminster in early January, the first week of MPs’ return to parliament after the Christmas recess.
The woman, a parliamentary researcher, alerted bar staff and parliamentary security to her drink being tampered with.
A U.K. Parliament spokesman said: “We are aware of an incident which took place on the parliamentary estate in early January, which was reported to parliamentary security and is now being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Service.”
Parliamentary officials stressed that they are treating the allegation extremely seriously.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said the London force had “received reports of an alleged spiking at an establishment in the House of Commons, on Tuesday, 7 January at around 18:30hrs.”
They added in a statement Wednesday evening: “The investigation is ongoing and the victim is being supported by officers. There have been no arrests at this stage.
“We would encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim or witness to spiking, in any form, to contact us on 101, or 999 in emergency.
“Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Safety fears
The alleged attack on a parliamentary worker is likely to renew debate over the safety of Westminster’s bars, which have been repeatedly criticized over an unhealthy drinking culture.
A group of Labour MPs recently called for restrictions on the sale of alcohol on the parliamentary estate as part of a drive to modernize the working culture of the House of Commons.
The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme — the U.K. parliament’s official complaints system — has described the “culture of drinking in Westminster” as a “frequent factor” in conduct-breaching incidents in the parliamentary bars.
Jawad Raza from the FDA trade union, which represents staff in parliament, said the alleged incident was “deeply concerning” in “a workplace for thousands of staff, with hundreds of public visitors also on-site every day.”
Raza called on the parliamentary authorities to “assess the risks and take immediate action to prevent this happening again.”
Fellow union rep Jenny Symonds, chair of the GMB Members’ Staff branch in parliament, said the report “will understandably cause fear and distress across the parliamentary community, and with every story of abuse that makes headlines, there are likely to be more that go untold.”
She said the organization would “support any staff members feeling unsafe or upset in relation to this news.”
The government has also promised to strengthen the police response to reports of spiking in a wider crackdown on violence against women and girls in the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper late last year condemned spiking as “a disturbing and serious crime which can have a damaging and long-lasting impact on victims.”
Police probe ‘spiking’ incident in UK parliament
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