Londoner's Diary: Where will MPs drink when the House is shut?

Getty Images / WPA Pool / Pool
19 September 2016

Crumbling stonework means MPs are set to move out of the Palace of Westminster for renovations from 2022. But given their new place won’t have the subsidised bars of their current home, where will our politicians drink?

A report last week suggested relocating across the road to the Department of Health’s Richmond House while contractors fix a leaking Parliament and take out asbestos. The £4 billion repairs will mean MPs will move for the first time since the Second World War. There has been talk of nationalising the Red Lion, a famous Westminster drinking hole, but this wouldn’t make up for the dozen bars politicos can currently enjoy.

So The Londoner asked St Stephen’s Tavern, the second closest pub to the Department of Health, whether it had been approached about a takeover by politicians. “We’ve had no approaches at all,” said a spokesman for managing company Hall & Woodhouse.

However, this may change. “They are technically our landlords as the Government owns the building. If they approached us we would have to have a conversation.”

“Of course the MPs are most welcome to come in — as many already do,” the spokesman added. “But the pub also has many other guests who I am sure will be keen to continue to visit.” Parliament gets £3.7 million a year of public money for subsidised food and drink, which means MPs can conduct unofficial business in the inside bars.

Theresa May could decide that she wants a more sober Parliament and try to cut the number of bars in Westminster. Could this be the only issue on which she sees eye to eye with the almost teetotal Jeremy Corbyn?

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Too fat and spending all their time playing golf? One UK businessman who does not conform to Liam Fox’s stereotype is advertising mogul Sir Martin Sorrell. “I don’t play golf on Fridays but I must admit I’m trying to play cricket, weather permitting, and before exporting goods this week to the US, Argentina, Germany and Singapore.” Sadly Sir Martin missed out on “trying to play cricket” — his match at the weekend was the annual Revival cricket match at Goodwood against Johnny Hornby’s XI. It was rained off.

Brexit foes put business before rancour

The EU referendum may have caused relationships to break down and a few political job losses but it’s nice to hear that it’s brought some people together in new pursuits. Director of communications at Vote Leave Paul Stephenson and David Cameron’s director of strategy at No 10 Ameet Gill — who turned down a peerage in the resignation honours — have put differences aside to launch a communications agency, Hanbury Strategy, with a unique perspective on Brexit.

They came up with the idea during peace talks over lunch with senior members of teams Leave and Remain. One won an election, the other a referendum — and for a price they’ll no doubt tell you how.

Politics in the mix for Daenerys

From Game of Thrones to House of Cards, it was good to see Emilia Clarke at the opening night of the latest political thriller to hit the London theatre. New terrorist drama The American Wife, at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park, tells the story of a woman trying to clear her husband’s name after he is charged with terror offences. The play aims to channel elements of Zero Dark Thirty and Homeland to the London stage, though critics have delivered tepid reviews. Who better than the tamer of dragons to warm them up a bit?

Sean exorcises his travel demons

AS ONE of the country’s most prolific theatre directors, Sean Mathias has a packed schedule. So pity the man for the logistical nightmare of taking on two projects: touring a new production of Pinter drama No Man’s Land, starring Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, while prepping a new stage version of The Exorcist.

“Every Thursday I would leave the former to return to the latter for casting and design meetings,” he tells The Londoner, racing from Newcastle to London, where a crowd of actors were auditioning for the role of the possessed schoolgirl. “Arriving 90 minutes late to a swathe of Regans wreathed in sweet smiles concealing demonic scowls was disconcerting.

“Then, last Thursday, waiting patiently at Cardiff station for a delayed train, my heart sank. We finally crawled towards Paddington and I ended up being an hour late to meet my devils. Were my Pinter players trying to detain me or was the curse of the Demon proving too powerful? Maybe the railways on our sceptred isle are totally inefficient and our roads totally overcrowded.”

The No Man’s Land tour has now arrived at the Wyndham’s Theatre, with Mathias having planned a pre-yoga session to ensure a Zen-like state. Idle hands...

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To Boisdale of Belgravia to celebrate the winner of the Boisdale shooting competition, won by Mike Robinson, owner of Fulham’s Harwood Arms. Harry Owen, MD of Boisdale Life mag, told us about interviewing Charlie Sheen. “His manager said ‘don’t ask him about his sex life or his health’,” to which Charlie replied, ‘What about the women, shootouts and all the f***king rest…!’”

Brent hits the high notes

To Hammersmith Apollo on Friday where we watched the last night of David Brent: Life on the Road. We were kindly invited by Ewen MacIntosh, aka Keith from The Office, who introduced the show while eating a Scotch egg.

The Londoner was looking forward to the afterparty but crestfallen to hear from the doorman that “Ricky’s gone straight into a car after last night’s show; he won’t be joining you for the afterparty”.

Disappointment turned to joy, though, as Gervais waltzed into the party on top form, posing for selfies with his fans. So impressed was The Londoner by Gervais’s singing voice in the show that we were moved to ask Brit Award winner Tom Odell also attending the party, if David Brent might support him in one of his sell-out shows. “I think it will be me supporting him,” he joked.

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Therapy of the day: Louiza Patikas, who plays Helen Titchener in The Archers, says she hopes her character can get over an attempted murder trial with some relaxing cheesemaking.

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