Standards slip for hungry MPs

It’s the biggest issue facing British politics: what to do about parliament’s catering? An army marches on its stomach and our legion of lords and legislators is no exception. For months, Mr S has heard grumbles about standards slipping in the Commons canteen. And now, finally, we have the proof, for today parly bosses admitted in a post on the internal staff intranet that:

the most recent inspection led to a new food hygiene rating of two stars, down from [the] previous rating of five… Environmental health officers identified the presence of pests near catering venues. This is a particular challenge in parliament.

Given the calibre of some MPs, that’s an understatement, to say the least. The size of the Commons’ catering operation, historic nature of the buildings and their location – close to the riverfront and the underground ventilation network – all present challenges from a pest control perspective.