Results tagged “alcohol” from Birmingham Post - News Blog

While the media have been putting MPs' perks under the spotlight, some politicians have turned the tables.

A Commons motion signed by ten MPs has highlighted the privileges enjoyed by the journalists working in Parliament.

As the motion says, the Press Gallery - a series of offices in the House of Commons used by political reporters (who are also known as the Press Gallery) - has recently been refurbished.

The MPs also call attention to the Press Gallery bar, which apparently receives a subsidy.

That's what it feels like I've been doing lately as I've juggled work with my marathon training, not to mention everything else. And as a result this blog has barely got off the ground, but really you haven't missed much!

I just wanted to comment on a couple of issues that have caught my eye in recent weeks, firstly the scare-mongering edict from NICE over whether expectant ladies should ever expect a drink! Obviously anyone with half a braincell is not going to get paralytic during pregnancy, but one of the most bizarre arguments put forward (I think it was on BBC Breakfast) was that "What if a woman had got drunk unaware of 'her condition'!"

While I imagine a fair number of conceptions are aided and abetted by one or two glasses of wine or the odd G&T, any woman actively trying to get pregnant will be aware of the risks anyway.
But on the otherhand Britain is the teen pregnancy capital of Europe, and I don't doubt that is as much down to drink as it is to ignorance and not practising safe sex.

But for decades women have enjoyed the occasional sherry or sip of champagne at family parties without being told "ooh be careful of baby". Obviously I'm not suggesting that NICE's decision is wrong, it's good to get some clarity, but it doesn't seem that long ago we were all being told that one unit (a week? not sure?) was fine.

Again would a woman drink every night, knowing she was having a baby?

Then there's that bloke who used to be a woman but didn't have her/his (?) reproductive organs removed who is, if the pix in Daily Mail are to be believed (and I'm not so sure) is pregnant by his/her lesbian partner.

What rules does he/she have to adhere to? It's all very confusing...

Today the government announced a fivefold increase in the maximum fine for 'antisocial drinking' in public places and a new sanctions aimed at supermarkets and off-licenses that sell alcohol to underage drinkers. All this comes alongside a 'clampdown' on illegal drinking by young people. That accompanies a Home Office study on the impact of the change of the licensing laws and the effects on crime and disorder that confirms that later closing times have led to a spike in incidents of drink-related disorder between 3am and 6am. In other words, the problems that used to come earlier in the evening when pubs and clubs kick out, now just happen at a different time. In short then changing licensing laws and pub and club opening times didn't stop the problems. But then again, it was never going to.

If you actually think about it, there is no real shock to be found here. Yet we should avoid any calls to go back to the previous licensing laws.