Jeremy Corbyn must ‘clear out’ MPs who have sexually harassed and assaulted aides, a leading female backbencher last night warned.
Jess Phillips said the Westminster harassment scandal has cast a shadow over all political parties – not just the Government.
And she said Labour must look at its own ranks and root out officials and MPs who have been behind harassment and attacks.
Ms Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, said she expects the scandal to spread and claim more careers as fresh allegations surface.
She told the BBC last night: ‘I imagine there will be others who go. It feels like the beginning of a clear-out.
‘This is cross party and not solely a government issue.
Jess Phillips, pictured on the left last night with fellow Labour MP Stella Creasy, said Labour will also need to ‘clear out’ its ranks of anyone found to have sexually assaulted or harassed people
‘Parliament matters to me and democracy maters to me so the clearing out if it needs to happen, needs to be swift – and I hope we can come out with a better culture for everyone.’
Her comments echo remarks made by Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, who used a speech at The Spectator awards party last night who said it is essential to ‘clean out the stables’.
Ms Davidson spoke out warning that the ‘dam has broken’ and the row engulfing British politics would continue for ‘some time to come’.
She said the fact that there was a woman in charge of Downing Street did not mean that ‘sexism and misogyny’ had been ‘somehow consigned to the dustbin of history’.
The scandal has so far focused on the Tory party after a dossier of 40 Tory MPs accused of sexual impropriety was circulated around Westminster.
While the PM was today forced to carry out an emergency mini reshuffle following Sir Michael’s resignation.
Sir Michael Fallon (left yesterday) sensationally resigned as defence secretary (right with his wife Wendy) amid a growing Westminster harassment scandal
But Labour has also been rocked by allegations – including that former NEC member Bex Bailey was raped by a senior official but told not to report it in case it harmed her career.
Labour MP John Mann has warned that a slew of other allegations could emerge as more women come forward.
Among the allegations which have been reported are claims an unnamed senior Labour MP has been reported to the Leader’s Office for extremely serious abuse of a woman.
A second Labour MP is being privately accused of sexual assault of a woman –but they remain unnamed.
A third senior Labour MP is accused of ‘wandering hands’ and being over-friendly at student discos.
While The New Statesman reports other ‘allegations of sexual misconduct that the party advised women to drop’.
While Labour MP Chi Onwurah told the Commons she had raised complaints about MPs’ behaviour to young staff in parliament’s bars.