Politics Joe
@PoliticsJOE·764K subscribers·4.2K videos
Does Westminster have a drinking problem?
Posted
April 27, 2026
Views
10,582
Likes
332
Comments
207
Engagement
5.09%
April 27, 2026
10,582
332
207
5.09%
Every word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
19:53Now PlayingIn a clip from today's podcast, Seán, Ava, and Andy unpack yesterday’s interview with Green MP Hannah Spencer, diving into the controversy around drinking culture in Westminster. Spencer didn’t hold back, describing how "uneasy" she felt about the normalisation of alcohol in Parliament, claiming that "you can smell the alcohol when people are in between votes".
The trio explore what this says about the broader culture in Westminster, where drinking has long been embedded in day-to-day political life. Spencer raised concerns not just about MPs, but also the impact on staff working in that environment, pointing to a culture that can feel exclusionary and unsafe.
The discussion centres around a perceived double standard: while most people in the UK can't drink while doing their job, MPs can. As Spencer puts it, "the world doesn’t work like that", calling the practice "out of touch" and reminding listeners that, ultimately, "it’s a job". Seán, Ava, and Andy debate whether the tradition is defensible or just outdated.
Like PoliticsJOE? We need your support:
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.
