LONDON (UK) – In view of the tight restrictions in place across the country to stem the spread of the pandemic, the bars in the House of Commons estate will be restricted from selling alcohol from Saturday.
According to Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, it will not be possible to buy an alcoholic beverage on the estate by the River Thames. This comes after the government closed pubs in the city of Liverpool in northern England to stem the surge of the virus.
“As Members of Parliament represent different constituencies in different tiers – with the very highest level ordering the closure of pubs – I have decided to stop the sale of alcohol across the House of Commons-end of the estate from this Saturday,” the speaker said in a statement.
Although most lawmakers have returned to parliament after the first lockdown, social distancing norms have limited the number that can enter the chamber at any given time. The government has come under criticism for applying different rules to contain the second wave of infections.