The Westminster ‘sex pest’ row escalated today with warnings that MPs could face hundreds of allegations – and claims some could even be criminal.
The scale of the scandal appears to be widening after a ‘dirty dossier’ surfaced listing 36 sitting Conservative MPs.
One was said to be ‘handsy with women’, another ‘paid a woman to be quiet’, while a former Tory minister was said to have propositioned his secretary by asking her to ‘come and feel the length of my c***’.
Theresa May today vowed to act against MPs found to have harassed staff and refused to say she had confidence in a serving minister, Mark Garnier.
He faces a formal probe into claims he made his secretary Caroline Edmondson buy sex toys for him and called her ‘sugar t*ts’ in public. The International Trade minister denies sexual harassment and says the allegations are exaggerated.
Meanwhile, a Labour MP has warned that issues with sexual misconduct in Westminster go much wider – and cases could number in the hundreds.
Another MP said he was aware of four incidents, saying one ‘passes the criminal threshold’ and another is ‘appalling’.
Theresa May was in the Commons today to see Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom take questions from MPs
Female staff at Westminster are naming and shaming sex pest MPs on a secret WhatsApp group, it has been revealed
This grab comes from the Conservative party dirty dossier, with names of MPs blacked out
International Trade Minister Mark Garnier (pictured at a trans pride event) is accused of calling his secretary ‘sugar t*ts’ in front of witnesses
Tory aides have put together the dossier which includes the specific details of the accusations inappropriate or even criminal behaviour at work.
The list includes two serving Cabinet ministers and 18 ministers, according to the Guido Fawkes website and The Times.
Another 12 MPs are accused of behaving inappropriately towards female staff, while four are alleged to have behaved inappropriately towards male researchers.
Mrs May was in the Commons this afternoon to see Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom promise action to tighten up protections within ‘days not weeks’. She said the probe into Mr Garnier was being conducted ‘urgently’ by the Cabinet Office.
Mrs Leadsom also made clear that ministers who had made staff feel uncomfortable could face the sack.
Commons Speaker John Bercow also cautioned that MPs should not deny the ‘need for change’.
As the row threatened to spiral out of control:
- Mr Bercow will chair a meeting of the Commons Commission tonight to discuss ways of protecting MPs’ staff;
- A Cabinet minister is alleged to have placed his hand on the thigh of a female journalist and said ‘God, I love those t*ts’;
- Anonymous reports suggested a second senior minister had an affair with a junior female aide who is also now an MP;
- A Liberal Democrat peer is said to have invited female journalists to lunch, telling them to wear knee-high boots and short skirts;
- MPs were said to be sharing stories about a Conservative who allegedly takes pictures of young men in compromising positions and uses them to extract sexual favours;
- It also emerged that women working at the Scottish parliament have been victim to a ‘catalogue’ of sexual harassment incidents, according to a high-profile lawyer;
- Mrs May’s former communications chief said whips often kept incriminating evidence to push MPs into following the party line in votes.
- Political journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer said she had been subject to a clumsy pass by a Cabinet minister but only regarded the incident as ‘mildly amusing’ and described the latest allegations as a ‘feeding frenzy’.
Rumours are swirling around Parliament that two Cabinet ministers are among politicians accused of being sex pests. Both privately insist no allegations have been put to them.
Two MPs are said to be accused of getting their mistresses pregnant, with one allegedly paying for an abortion.
Two Conservative politicians are accused of using the services of prostitutes.
Separately, former Cabinet minister Stephen Crabb has admitted sending explicit messages to a 19-year-old woman after a job interview in Parliament.
Although only Conservative figures have been the subject of the allegations, it is believed senior Labour politicians – including two former frontbenchers – have also been accused.
Overnight Mrs May wrote to Mr Bercow to demand the establishment of a grievance procedure to deal with Westminster harassment complaints.
She criticised the disciplinary procedure operated by Commons watchdog Ipsa, because it was not compulsory for MPs to sign up. ‘It does not have the required teeth as contractually an MP does not have to follow the procedure,’ she added.
Theresa May has written to Commons Speaker John Bercow (pictured today) to demand a shake-up of ‘toothless’ disciplinary procedures. The House introduced a ‘Respect’ policy several years ago in a bid to enhance protection for its own staff
Labour MP Jess Philips revealed she heard two male colleagues talking about ‘a witch hunt that was going on in Parliament’ as she arrived for today’s urgent question on harassment
Caroline Edmondson (pictured in 2013 with her partner, journalist Jon Craig) is said to have been asked to buy sex toys for boss Mark Garnier
Former Cabinet Minister Stephen Crabb admitted sending ‘explicit’ messages to a 19-year-old woman after a job interview at Westminster
‘I do not believe that this situation can be tolerated any longer. It is simply not fair on staff, many of whom are young and in their first job post-education.
‘We must establish a House-wide mediation service complemented by a contractually binding grievance procedure available for all MPs irrespective of their party banner.’
But Mr Bercow put the ball firmly back in Mrs May’s court, telling the Commons this afternoon:’In the first instance I hope that parties will live up to their responsibilities, demonstrating both an appetite for change and a practical means of delivering that change without delay.
‘Make no mistake, there is a need for change.’
Mr Bercow called on the Commons standards committee to beef up the code of conduct for MPs to include a new rule that ‘a member must treat all those who work in parliament with dignity, courtesy and respect’, as recommended by the parliamentary commissioner for standards.
During the urgent question tabled by Labour’s Harriet Harman, Mrs Leadsom faced repeated demands for action.
Labour MP Jess Philips revealed she heard two male colleagues talking about ‘a witch hunt that was going on in Parliament’ as she arrived for today’s urgent question on harassment.
She told MPs: ‘I think that what we need to do in this building is not think of this as being a party political thing, but something that has to absolutely happen.
‘And we don’t just cheer when our side is the person getting attacked. We cheer when everybody is banged to rights.’
Chi Onwurah, a Labour front bencher, said harassment complaints made against MPs for their actions towards researchers in an rowdy parliamentary bar were dismissed as being typical pub behaviour.
She asked Mrs Leadsom to look into activities inside the Sports and Social Bar.
Mrs Leadsom confirmed she would be holding talks with her Lords counterpart about the venue on Tuesday.
‘I’m very happy to give that absolute assurance. There should be no place here on the estate or in our constituency offices where people can be abused or allegations not taken seriously,’ she said.
Tory MP Esther McVey reopened a major row with shadow chancellor John McDonnell over his decision to repeat calls for her to be ‘lynched’ a political rally in 2015.
Mr McDonnell also described Ms McVey as ‘a stain on humanity’ during an outburst in the Commons three years ago.
The Tatton MP branded Mr McDonnell’s remarks ‘an absolute disgrace’.
At a separate event, he also recounted a comment he had heard in which someone said the former disabilities minister should be ‘lynched’ for her part in implementing welfare cuts.
Ms McVey said: ‘I’m delighted to hear the Leader of the House will extend these to other forms of abuse.
‘Will that include to those MPs who go on rallies endorsing the lynching of other MPs?
‘It is an absolute disgrace that senior MPs go about their business getting violence against female MPs.’
Mother of the House Harriet Harman (left) and Labour MP Chi Onwurah (right) were both in the Commons today (pictured) to raise complaints about harassment in Parliament
Former Labour minister Chris Bryant said MPs should be forced to have an HR professional accompany them when interviewing for staff.
Chris Bryant told the Commons about a former Church of England colleague who confided in him that he had been ‘raped by a very senior member’ of the clergy.
Mr Bryant said his friend was ‘terrified’ about telling anybody and felt suicidal.
He added: ‘I make absolutely no criticism of my friend. The senior cleric concerned had a great deal of protection from the establishment, including from certain members in the Royal Family, and he subsequently – thank God – went to prison.
‘The church’s instinct was to protect itself as the institution – and isn’t that always the danger?
‘Isn’t the one thing we must learn from all of this is that the best way to protect the institution is actually to protect the victims.’
Commons leader Mrs Leadsom told him: ‘I think you raise a really terrible case, absolutely horrifying, and you’re right to point out that the victim should not be the one to suffer in the way that your friend obviously did.
‘I think the point you raise is a very important one – that we do need to ensure this is not the House protecting itself but Parliament protecting all of those who come here to work and try to make their country a better place.’
Commons leader Andrea Leadsom told MPs should be kicked out of their parties and ministers sacked if allegations were proved
Earlier, the PM’s official spokesman was asked if Mrs May had ‘confidence’ in the trade minister, her spokesman said: ‘There is an investigation the Prime Minister has asked for which is being conducted by the Cabinet Office.’
The spokesman refused repeatedly to express confidence in Mr Garnier and did not rebut suggestions her confidence was dependant on the investigation outcome.
He said: ‘She has been clear any unwanted sexual behaviour is completely unacceptable in any walk of life and she strongly believes those who work in Parliament are treated properly and fairly as would be expected in any modern workplace.
‘That is why she has written to the Speaker to ask for his support in what can be done to ensure the reputation of Parliament is not damaged by these allegations of impropriety.’
Asked if the Prime Minister would expect ministers to resign if allegations were proved, the spokesman added: ‘The Prime Minister has been clear that this type of behaviour would be inappropriate if proven and appropriate action would be taken.’
Shadow equalities minister Dawn Butler called for Mr Crabb and Mr Garnier to have the Tory whip suspended.
‘Can you explain why the investigation into Mark Garnier appears to be confined to whether he broke the ministerial code at a time when he wasn’t a minister?’ she wrote in a letter to Mrs May.
‘Further, can you confirm that both he, and Stephen Crabb, will be investigated by the Conservative party and have the whip suspended while investigations into their conduct take place?’
Labour MP Tulip Siddiq said she feared the number of sexual cases at Westminster could run into the ‘hundreds’.
‘I’m hearing first hand from people who are saying that they have been either sexually abused, or if you like people have tried it on with them who are MPs,’ she told BBC News.
‘So it’s not gossip anymore. This is a serious problem.’
She added: ‘People I’ve heard it from is in the tens, but that’s people telling me personally.
‘But if you investigate this and delve deeper into it, I think it probably will be in the hundreds. And that’s deeply worrying.’
Fellow backbencher John Mann said he was aware of one case where police were involved but could not act because the alleged incident took place abroad.
‘These are within the last couple of years, both of these, so we’re talking of actual complaints where the woman have, in one case, been told to get lost, it’s nothing to do with us, and in the other case, nothing is done and she’s not even got back to with a response, which shows how badly actual complaints are treated and these are serious complaints,’ he told LBC radio.
Another Labour MP, Rupa Huq, revealed she had been a victim of ‘slithering’ hands by an MEP in the 1990s.
‘Back in my 20s, so we are talking 1990s, I had a junior role at the European Parliament and I do recall an incident where a male MEP, his wandering hands found their way on to me, which I did not like but did not really do anything about, because there was such a power imbalance,’ she told Sky News.
Yesterday a political journalist said a Tory MP made a drunken lunge at her following a Westminster lunch.
Jane Merrick, a columnist with the Times, said she was a young political reporter when she was harassed by the MP – whom she refused to name.
Separately the Mail on Sunday reported that Mr Crabb admitted sending explicit messages to a 19-year-old woman he interviewed for a job in 2013, when he was a minister for Wales. The married MP was quoted by the paper as saying there had been no sexual contact. Mr Crabb resigned last year as work and pensions secretary following reports of a similar incident.
Katie Perrior, Mrs May’s former head of communications at No10, said incriminating information was often ‘kept away from the prime minister’ but deployed by whips to enforce party discipline.
On ITV’s Good Morning Britain today, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott stressed that the problems crossed party lines
Labour former minister Caroline Flint said ‘sex goes on’ in Westminster. Former Culture Secretary John Whittingdale admitted there was ‘bad behavior’ among MPs
Theresa May, pictured going to church with husband Philip yesterday, is trying to get a grip on the burgeoning scandal
She told BBC Breakfast: ‘The information is held by the whips, because they use it to make sure that MPs know that other people within the party know exactly what they’ve been up to, and that behaviour either is not acceptable, or it will be used against them – you will vote in a certain way or we will tell your wife exactly what you’ve been up to.’
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour last night, Labour former minister Caroline Flint said ‘sex goes on’ in Westminster.
The MP urged colleagues to ‘get a grip on what being an MP is about, put their egos in a box and stop thinking they are the greatest thing since sliced bread and can do or say what they want’.
Former Culture Secretary John Whittingdale admitted there was ‘bad behavior’ among MPs.
But he suggested it was down to ‘the nature of Westminster, where you have people who genuinely have some power, all in a place a long way from their families, often until late at night, surrounded by young people who look up to them’.
‘Some people abuse that. It does happen and it’s cross-party and it’s something we need to tackle. I do think it’s a minority — I don’t think my colleagues are all constantly abusing people,’ Mr Whittingdale added.
Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott stressed that the problems crossed party lines.
‘These are 36 Tory MPs, but it’s not just a Tory issue, it’s an issue for MPs as a whole,’ she said.
Ms Hartley-Brewer, a presenter on TalkRadio, played down her previously revelation about a serving Cabinet minister.
‘I have spoken previously about a Cabinet minister who repeatedly put his hand on my knew during a party conference dinner. I calmly and politely explained to him that, if he did it again, I would ‘punch him in the face’,’ she said in a statement today.
‘He withdrew his hand and that was the end of the matter.
‘I have had no issues since with the man in question and do not regard the incident as anything but mildly amusing, which is why I have declined to name him.’
‘Wild rumours and claims are circulating about many male MPs as Westminster in a media feeding frenzy. I have worked in and around Westminster for 20 years and, as far as I am aware, incidents of genuine harassment involve only a small number of MPs from all parties.
‘I believe it is absurd and wrong to treat workplace banter and flirting – and even misjudged sexual overtures – between consenting adults as being morally equivalent to serious sexual harassment or assault.
‘It demeans genuine victims of real offences.’
MPs employ their own staff, meaning issue of abuse do not easily fall within the powers of the Commons authorities.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority supplies a model contract, with established grievance procedures, but MPs are not compelled to use it.
The Commons overhauled its procedures several years ago in a bid to offer around 2,000 House officials more protection from abuse by politicians.
The ‘Respect’ policy allows for cases against MPs to be taken to the standards committee and ruling House of Commons commission if disciplinary action is deemed to be required.
Senior Tories are said to have blocked a 2014 bid by David Cameron to give researchers more protection from sexual harassment.
The powerful 1922 Committee of stepped in to stop the introduction of a binding code of conduct allowing staff members access to arbitration.
Mr Cameron attempted to persuade the Speaker and other party leaders to support the measures following a sex scandal, according to the Evening Standard.
Having failed to secure wider agreement covering the whole Commons, the then-PM tried to get his own MPs to sign up voluntarily.
But the 1922 is said to have seen the plan as a whips’ plot to impose ‘central control’ on backbenchers.