Police are investigating an incident after a woman reported having her drink spiked in one of Parliament’s bars earlier this month.
The incident allegedly took place in the Palace of Westminster’s Stranger’s Bar, according to Politico, which is often frequented by politicians and journalists.
The female parliamentary researcher alerted bar and security staff that her drink had been tampered with on January 7, during the first week of the year MPs returned after Christmas recess.
The Metropolitan Police said there had so far been no arrests, but said an investigation is “ongoing and the victim is being supported by officers”.
“[The police] received reports of an alleged spiking at an establishment in the House of Commons, on Tuesday, 7 January at around 18:30hrs,” a spokesperson for the London force added.
A spokesman for Parliament said of January’s alleged spiking incident: “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.”
The FDA union, which represents civil servants and public sector professionals, said the alleged incident was “deeply concerning” and urged parliamentary authorities to “assess the risks and take immediate action to prevent this happening again”.
It is likely to once again fuel concerns around excessive drinking in Westminster after a 2023 report by the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) found a “culture of drinking” was a “frequent factor in incidents in bars on the parliamentary estate (leading to intimidating behaviour like shouting and swearing)”.
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Read MoreIn the run-up to Christmas, a group of MPs submitted plans to tighten alcohol sales in Parliament in a bid to make it a “healthier” workplace.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned spiking as “a disturbing and serious crime which can have a damaging and long-lasting impact on victims” as the Government pledged a crackdown on violence against women and girls through the Crime and Policing Bill.
The Bill, which outlines spiking as a specific offence is expected to improve awareness around the illegal act, with Number 10 previously saying it would “send a clear signal that this is a crime, and perpetrators should feel the full force of the law”.
In November, Sir Keir Starmer met with a number of police chiefs to demand coordinated action. The prime minister said at the time that “cracking down on spiking” was central to Labour’s mission to “stop women being targeted”.
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