• Politicians feel they pay too much for cut-price drinks
• The bars and eateries in Westminster are already subsidised
• Tax watchdog calls politicians ‘out of touch’

Tipple: John Smith’s costs just £2.30 in Commons bars, but some MPs say it’s too much

MPs want taxpayers to subsidise the cost of their drinks in the bars of Parliament.

Prices at the four Palace of Westminster bars are already cheap, especially for central London, as they are linked to those in a nearby Wetherspoons pub.

But some MPs, who have a salary of £65,738, feel the £2.60 they pay for a pint of John Smith’s bitter, or £3.20 for premium Becks lager, is too much.

Senior MPs have even suggested prices should be tied to a cheaper venue outside of the centre of the capital.

The Sun claims to have seen a record of the Administration Committee’s meeting that states: ‘Several Members suggested that the House should not benchmark against central London pubs: those had to pay Central London rent, rates and utility charges, which House services did not pay.’

Commons catering managers recently asked for prices to rise for the first time in three years due to food inflation.

Food and drink are already subsidised with £5.8million a year of public money. The House of Commons operates four venues: the Strangers’ Bar, the Members’ Smoking Room, the Pugin Room and Moncrieff’s.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2320578/The-drinks-US-MPs-want-cut-price-drinks-Parliament-bars–taxpayer-footing-bill.html#ixzz2SbRf14pw