Westminster announces crackdown in Parliament's Sports and Social Club bar after sexual harassment claims

A crackdown has been announced at a notorious Parliamentary bar, following allegations of late-night “harassment” of staff by MPs.

Private firms will no longer be allowed to run the Sports and Social Club, to enable it to be managed “in-house” like all other Westminster bars.

The Parliamentary authorities will also impose new restrictions on the number of guests allowed inside and consider slashing its hours of opening.

The sudden move comes just days after the sexual harassment scandal rocked Westminster, some of it centred on the Sports and Social, which is close to the Commons chamber.

Last week, Chi Onwurah, a Labour MP, urged Commons Leader Angela Leadsom to investigate “harassment” inside the bar and accused Parliament of turning a blind eye to it.

She said: “When I complained recently, to an officer of Parliament who had some responsibility in this area, that I knew a number of researchers, male and female, who had been made to feel deeply uncomfortable in the Sports and Social club by members of Parliament, I was told that that happens in pubs all over the country.

“Will the Leader of the House confirm that the duty of care that we owe extends 24/7 and to every restaurant and bar in this place?”

In reply, Ms Leadsom promised to raise “specific issues around the Sports and Social bar” with Lord McFall, the senior deputy speaker of the House of Lords, who was already carrying out a review.

“There should be no place here on the estate, or in our constituency offices, where people can be abused or their allegations not taken seriously,” she replied.

This week, a former manager of the Sports and Social said she was repeatedly pestered for sex by MPs, including one who followed her out and groped her.

Alice Bailey told The Sun that some MPs “spent all day boozing” and “fancied their chances” because they thought they were “very important people”.

Now the McFall review has announced an end to the “anomaly” that saw the management of the bar contracted out.

Only Parliamentary passholders and a maximum of two guests will be allowed in, instead of up to six guests, the current limit on most nights.

And the review will continue to explore shutting the Sport and Social altogether on days when neither the Commons nor Lords is sitting.

Parliament has many bars, but the Sports and Social most resembles an ordinary pub, with its wooden tables, dartboard, pool table and big screen showing sporting fixtures.

Karaoke nights are particularly popular, attracting large numbers of the young researchers who work at Westminster, as well as MPs.

Lord McFall said: “The current situation regarding the Sports and Social Club Bar is an obvious anomaly.

“It is the only refreshment outlet in Parliament that is run by a third party and not the catering department of either House.”