Parliament must act to stop the “seemingly endless” allegations of sexual misconduct by MPs because political parties cannot be trusted to make it a safe place to work, two leading unions have warned.
As Number 10 admitted Boris Johnson knew about the allegations against Chris Pincher before making him deputy chief whip, the FDA and Prospect said politicians had time and again failed to “deal properly with sexual misconduct by someone from them”.
Unions representing more than 1,000 parliamentary workers jointly wrote to Speaker Lindsey Hoyle urging parliament to act following the scandal surrounding Pincher, who resigned last week after reports he drunkenly groped two men at a London private members’ club.
More allegations have since emerged about Pincher, which he denies, and it follows five previous sexual misconduct scandals involving Tory MPs in this parliament, leading to pressure on Johnson to clean up his party’s culture.
They include Neil Parrish, who watches pornography in the Commons; Imran Ahmad Khan, convicted of child sexual abuse; and David Warburton, who is being investigated by the parliamentary watchdog over three allegations of sexual misconduct with women, which he denies.
An unnamed Tory MP was also arrested last month on suspicion of rape and other sexual offences, while Tory MP Rob Roberts was suspended from whipping after an independent investigation found he had sexually harassed a junior staff member.
Johnson has been under continued pressure over the Pincher affair after his spokesman admitted on Monday he was aware of general speculation before promoting the MP to deputy chief whip in charge of peer welfare in February.
Despite last week saying the prime minister was not aware of “specific” allegations, No 10 admitted Johnson was aware of concerns about Pincher which “were either resolved or did not progress to a formal complaint”.
Former members of the Conservative Party told the Guardian they knew as early as 2017 that Pincher sometimes drank too much and that he had been warned not to get into trouble. He left the whips’ office in November 2017 following an allegation by former rower Alex Storey that he made unwanted sexual advances – and was later cleared by an internal party inquiry.
In light of the Pincher scandal and the arrest of an unsuspended Tory MP, the FDA and Prospect have asked Hoyle to act by considering reforming Parliament’s approach to sexual misconduct at its upcoming Speakers’ Conference – Review Forum how the Commons works. They highlighted Labor MP Luke Pollard’s comments that Parliament was “not a safe place to work” and the “seemingly endless list of allegations of sexual misconduct by MPs”.
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“Political parties of all stripes have proven time and time again that they cannot be trusted to deal properly with sexual misconduct by any of their own,” wrote Dave Penman, FSA general secretary, and Mike Clancy , general secretary of Prospect.
“If parties do not act, then Parliament must, by adopting a zero-tolerance approach to sexual misconduct by MPs and by taking seriously its responsibility to ensure a safe workplace for those working there.”
They said Parliament’s reputation had been “significantly damaged as a result of numerous well-publicised incidents of alleged sexual misconduct and misogyny perpetrated by politicians against parliamentary staff, constituents and others, including fellow MPs”, which had been worsened by revelations in relation to of Pincher, Deputy Chief Government Whip.
They said it was critical that Parliament had shown a “lack of commitment” to these scandals, asking: “Does Parliament, as an employer and public institution, have a say in the current crisis of misconduct and sexual misconduct? Is Parliament concerned that the potential risks to those who work and visit the estate are not being adequately addressed by political parties and government? Does Parliament believe it has the powers it needs to deal with breaches of ethics and standards by MPs when parties do not?’
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They argued that the powers of the Speaker’s Conference, approved by the House of Commons last week, should be broad enough to decide whether existing governance in Parliament remains fit for purpose and to look in particular at Parliament’s inability to exclude from legacy MPs who are being investigated for sexual misconduct.
They also called for harassment and sexual misconduct training to be made mandatory for all MPs. The conference, made up of a committee of MPs, is for now only planned to deal with the staffing arrangements of MPs, reviewing current practices and working conditions.
After the #MeToo scandal in Westminster, which ousted several cabinet ministers, Parliament introduced an independent grievance and complaints scheme, allowing victims to make complaints about sexual harassment and harassment to an independent investigator. However, political parties have since used the ICGS as an excuse not to carry out their own inquiries, and Jess Phillips, the shadow Home Office secretary, has warned that victims carry too much of a burden to make formal complaints. The scheme also only covers those who work in Parliament, not the alleged victims outside Westminster.
Hoyle’s office has been reached for comment.
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