MPs admit to unhealthy drinking culture in Parliament, new survey reveals
New data released today by Alcohol Concern reveals a quarter (26%) of MPs believe there is an unhealthy drinking culture in Parliament.
That's an interesting interpretation of the statistic. Another—more honest—interpretation would be that a large majority of MPs don't think there is an unhealthy drinking culture in Parliament, but that wouldn't really serve the cause, would it?
Either there is an unhealthy drinking culture in Parliament or there isn't. Alcohol Con have put it to a vote and most MPs don't think there is. End of story.
Eric Appleby, Chief Executive of Alcohol Concern said:
“It’s surprising that only a quarter of MPs believe there is an unhealthy drinking culture in Parliament."
Considering the place is riddled with purse-lipped crypto-socialists like Sarah Wollaston and lemon-sucking busybodies like Diane Abbot, maybe Appleby has a point. Or maybe he's just disappointed that so few of them gave him the answer he wanted. Either way, women and Labourites were disproportionately more likely to complain about a "drinking culture".
A third (36%) of female MPs agreed with the statement that there was an unhealthy drinking culture in Parliament.
Labour MPs (31%) are more likely than MPs from either of the Coalition parties (20% Conservative and 19% Liberal Democrat) to believe that there is an unhealthy drinking culture in Parliament.
I also note that only the left-wing media bothered to report this non-story (see BBC, Guardian, Independent, Mirror). What is it with leftists and temperance?
Appleby continues...
"If a quarter of employees reported an unhealthy drinking culture in any other organisation it would provoke immediate action by bosses."
Firstly, they're not reporting it to their bosses, they're responding to a leading question in a poxy survey.
Secondly, there are plenty of bosses who would tell them to shut up or sod off.
Thirdly, MPs aren't air traffic controllers. Their job is to have long lunches with various rent-seekers and lobbyists while waiting to be told how to vote.
"Surely it’s time for Parliament to rethink its drinking culture and lead by example.”
Surely it's time for Parliament to rethink its culture of giving public money to groups like Alcohol Concern. Even after the Department of Health withdrew its funding, most of their income comes from the state. What do you say, MPs? Surely it's time to rid yourselves of this turbulent pressure group.
PS. Maybe Alcohol Concern has found some non-state funding at last. As the press release notes, "Alcohol Concern partnered with pharmaceutical company Lundbeck Ltd to commission and communicate the findings of the survey." Lundbeck have just brought out a stop-drinking drug.
