Parliament ends 10pm bar curfew exemption after furious backlash

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Earlier, it emerged bars on the House of Commons estate were not subject to restrictions introduced last week for hospitality venues in England as they are designated “workplace canteens”. However, after a considerable backlash, a parliamentary spokesman said: “Alcohol will not be sold after 10pm anywhere on the parliamentary estate.” Responding to the decision to close the loophole on the Commons estate, Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “Good, if we ask others to follow the regulations then we must also follow them, it’s basic stuff really.” In a previous statement, the House of Commons authorities said the new regulations did not apply to the catering outlets “providing a workplace service for over 3,100 people working on the estate”. It comes as ministers face urgent calls to review the 10pm curfew introduced by Boris Johnson last week after images of drinkers crowding on streets in cities across the country were posted on social media. Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, insisted the restrictions hadn’t been “fully thought through”, adding: “My personal feeling is the curfew is probably doing more harm than good.