• When SWRD Bandaranaike became Prime Minister in 1956, he ordered the closure of parliament’s ‘watering hole’, as one of his topmost priorities
• The watering holes in Westminster always made headlines. There are quite a few bars within the UK’s Parliament. One was closed after a brawl left one man in hospital in December 2017

The Telegraph on November 11, 2021 reported on its front page, about a disgraceful behavior of three British members of Parliament. 
British  Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace had complained to  the leaders of British Labour Party and SNP about the behaviour of three of their MPs, who "undermined respect for Parliament"  on a flight to Gibraltar on an official visit to see the British military in action – They have boarded a British Airways flight from Heathrow and when the aircraft landed, Charlotte Nichols,  Labour MP needed a wheelchair and David Linden and Drew Hendry, the two SNP members were talking a loud, excited, had been  “enjoying” themselves as if they were inside a pub. However, the three MPs, had denied being drunk.The SNP is Scotland’s largest political party, where it owns the highest number of seats in the Scottish Parliament apart from having 45 in the House of Commons out of the 59 Scottish seats at Westminster.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a few days ago that Britain was not a corrupt country as he called on MPs who disobey lobbying rules to be “penalized”. Speaking at the COP26 UN climate change conference, Prime Minister said, “The most imperative thing is that those who break the rules should be punished." Earlier at a press conference Johnson came out against a comprehensive ban on second jobs for MPs, disagreeing that over the decades Parliament has gained from politicians who have also been medical officers, solicitors, engineers or soldiers.

When SWRD Bandaranaike became Prime Minister in 1956, he ordered the closure of parliament’s ‘watering hole’, as one of his topmost priorities. A remnant of British colonial rule, the Parliament BAR stood majestically backed by the colonial grandeur adjoining the chamber within the complex located opposite Galle Face Green. The facility served the privileged membership of State Council prior to 1947 and House of Representatives in its halcyon days.

 The liquor bar, a Colonial leftover though, functioned for the “benefit” of gentlemen parliamentarians was not a unique feature, but part of a common phenomenon practiced under British culture. The writer was ‘privileged’ to have patronized the ‘Work Place Bar’ in late 1960s when he joined a multinational company as a school leaver. He never had any bad experiences of drunken staff during office hours, though it opened during the lunch break for the benefit of those who sought ‘a midday appetizer.’ Then again for longer hours in the evenings when most staff members walked in for a game of Billiards, TT, Darts or Bridge, sipping their favourite brew. In fact a head of a department would walk in occasionally who would order a round of drinks before he discussed a business matter in a lighter vain or for sharing an anecdote connecting an incident at an upcountry rugby encounter in 1930s-40s. I have pleasant memories of the Chairman Shattock, the veteran British planter, and the six-footer former Dickoya Ruggerite who was dressed in immaculate White Shorts and stockings arriving at club house one evening for his beer and a game of snooker. Seeing me holding my glass of spirits, he asked, “I say, how old are you young man?” [I just turned 20]. Most of the state and private sector institutions then headed by Europeans had operated liquor bars within their office premises. 

On one occasion, when the session recommenced in our parliament after the lunch break, a Deputy Minister [Transport?] in Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s 1970-77 government entered the chamber half-an-hour late and swiftly “crossed the floor” and walked up to Opposition leader JR Jayewardene and gave him a head massage. Then he pulled out his lice-infected comb and used it on veteran legislator’s hair. JR, the unwearied veteran politician tolerated the intoxicated man’s disgraceful behaviour, who paid no respect to the chair, though he could not bear the filthy odour that radiated from the pot-bellied man’s brewery inside his tummy. Later in the day when Sirimavo attended sessions, JR shot back at the world’s first Prime Minister, in his inimitable way…, “Madam PM, no harm if you have re-opened the bar which your late husband shut down signifying his saintly ways, but please make sure you prohibit hoarding of any illicit brands in it.” 

 There had been quite a few occurrence of drunken behavior within the house both inside the chamber as well as in the lobby and restaurant. 
Rajapaksas lost Presidency on January 8, 2015, but held the parliamentary power sans premiership which was given unconstitutionally to UNP leader by Sirisena who ‘honoured’ his pledge, as part of the conspiracy, in return for the UNP votes.

85 MPs of the UPFA decided to stay behind overnight in the Chamber of the House, on the banks of Diyawanna [permission granted by the Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa.] Parliamentarians clad in ‘Sarong and T-shirt’ desecrated the hallowed precincts having a night-out protesting the summoning of their leader by the fraud investigator’s bureau. Next morning the cleaning staff collected VAT 69 empties left behind on the well of the House where around forty of them including two females had a “PADURU PARTY” on the previous night. They opened the bar that was shut down by their mentor 60 years ago, in the middle of its well. Such behaviour is not good for society because it showed the collapse of democratic values and was an insult to the people who has sent them to represent them. 
The watering holes in Westminster always made headlines. There are quite a few bars within UK’s Parliament house. One was closed indefinitely after a fight that left one man in hospital in December 2017. The Strangers' Bar is one of several such bars in the Palace of Westminster.

Saroja Sirisena, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom on May 24 visited Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons UK in response to a call by latter to meet him [the Speaker] at his office at House of Commons.  The lion flag fluttered elegantly in front of House of Commons at the Westminster buildings on the occasion. Our lady diplomat, as reported, used the opportunity to suggest, ‘the exchange of visits between the legislatures of the two countries, which was gladly received by the Speaker. They also agreed to a proposal that a friendly cricket match between the members of the two Parliaments would be an excellent opportunity to commemorate shared love for the gentlemen’s game. Perhaps they will have to sit at another couple of sessions to draw up a new set of rules for the game, like serving spirits instead of water during the breaks. And a few lessons on how to play on a level field! 

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