Three Conservative cabinet ministers and two Labor cabinet ministers have been reported to the parliamentary oversight service, which handles complaints against lawmakers, it said.
Three members of Boris Johnson’s team and two of Sir Keira Starmer’s are facing charges of sexual misconduct, according to The Sunday Times.
They are among 56 lawmakers who have been referred to the Independent Complaints and Complaints Scheme (ICGS) in connection with about 70 individual complaints, he said.
The charges range from making sexually inappropriate comments to more serious offenses, the paper said, with at least one complaint believed to include crime and allegations that an MP “bribes a staff member in exchange for sexual services”.
ICGS was created as an independent process with cross-party support in 2018 after the so-called scandal in Pestminster, which saw the spotlight shining on sexual harassment in rooms and corridors of power.
He maintains a hotline that allows Westminster workers, including MPs and colleagues, to call to complain or seek advice.
It exists to allow workers to report experiences of harassment, harassment and sexual misconduct. They may also report witnessing or knowing of such behavior.
According to the body’s annual report for 2021, the service was used by people who say they are MPs.
In a statement on his website, Joe Willows, director of ICGS, said the service was “an important step forward in tackling inappropriate behavior in our workplace.”
The allegations made to the ICGS are private and confidential, and political parties are not provided with information on who was reported.
A union representing senior government officials said more needed to be done to stop harassment in parliament.
FDA Secretary General Dave Penman said: “Although some of the grievance procedures have improved, the basic balance of power between MPs and the staff they hire has not changed.
“Where this exists, it will inevitably be used either by those who do not have the skills to manage staff effectively or by those with more malicious intentions.
“It is therefore not surprising that if the circumstances that allowed harassment and harassment to flourish have not changed fundamentally, what we see is the number of complaints that are being raised now that we have at least an independent mechanism to deal with them. .
“Parliamentary authorities need to address the root causes of harassment and harassment, rather than simply relying on an enforcement mechanism that protects only those who feel able to lodge complaints.”
Mr Penman said it meant “re-examining the employment relationship between MEPs and staff” with a view to reforming the model for 650 individual employers.
He said authorities should instead consider creating a new employment model that “will help protect staff while maintaining the level of service MPs need to support their vital work”.
A government spokesman said: “We take all allegations of this nature very seriously and will encourage anyone who has any allegations to contact the relevant authorities.
Downing Street and Labor said they could not comment.
Additional reporting by the PA
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