Sexual harassment and bullying at Westminster exposed by new report
WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS INFORMATION SOME READERS MAY FIND DISTRESSING.
A probe into sexual intimidation and harassment at Westminster has found that MPs’ staff face an “unacceptable risk” of abuse.
The hard-hitting independent investigation heard that some people who work for MPs have to cope with “very serious sexual assault” and having heavy objects thrown at them in bouts of “uncontrollable rage”.
Gemma White QC said there was a “significant problem” about the way some MPs treated those who worked for them.
She said the House of Commons authorities had been too slow to act in response to previous reports into the issue.
Read on...
“Some staff of Members of Parliament are subject to an unacceptable risk of bullying and harassment, including sexual harassment, at work,” she said.
“Most Members of Parliament treat their staff with dignity and respect but the problem of bullying and harassment is sufficiently widespread to require an urgent collective response.
“Recent steps taken by the House of Commons to address bullying and harassment across the Parliamentary community do not engage sufficiently with the particular issues faced by members’ staff, who are in a uniquely vulnerable position because they are directly employed by Members of Parliament.
“Many describe the idea of complaining about bullying and harassment under the new complaints procedure as ‘career suicide’.”
The probe heard that staff working for MPs have been subjected to “very serious sexual assault”.
Ms White said: “The behaviour described to me ranged from ‘jokes’ regarded by those making them – and in one case the MP to whom the member of staff complained – as acceptable workplace banter, all the way through to conduct which can only be described as very serious sexual assault.”
She added: “Many of the experiences related to me were of unwelcome sexual advances, often accompanied by attempts at kissing.
“Many involved some form of unwanted touching: for example breasts being grabbed, buttocks being slapped, thighs being stroked and crotches being pressed/rubbed against bodies.”
Ms White said “Contributors reported being shouted at and/or sworn at by their MP employer on a regular basis.
“Some contributors described members expressing uncontrollable rage, screaming that staff were ‘f***ing useless” or “f***ing idiots’ in front of other staff, other members and/or constituents.
“Some contributors who reported shouting and screaming also told of being present when objects – usually pieces of office equipment, sometimes heavy – were thrown in anger by their employer MP, in some cases at them.”
Downing Street described Ms White’s report as “deeply worrying”.
“The findings in this report are appalling and raise serious concerns,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.
Commons Speaker John Bercow said: “Gemma White’s findings are deeply shocking and some of the allegations mentioned in her report should be reported to the police and action taken. It is totally unacceptable for any MP to behave in this way.
“The Speaker does not have any powers over MPs in relation to their staff. However, he believes strongly that the House should restrict the sale of alcohol on the estate, consider the introduction of CCTV in MPs’ offices and encourage all members to go on employer training courses.”
Ms White’s investigation was ordered last year by the then leader of the House, Andrea Leadsom, following a highly critical report by Dame Laura Cox which highlighted the widespread bullying and harassment of staff.
In her findings, Ms White said such behaviour had been “tolerated and accepted” for too long.
“It has seriously affected the health and welfare of far too many people,” she said.
“There is a pressing need for a collective response to what is clearly a significant problem.
“I am concerned by the amount of time it has taken to act on recommendations from previous reports and would urge the House to move more swiftly.
“While the House of Commons is not alone in tolerating these behaviours, it is the home of our policy makers and a taxpayer-funded institution. It should therefore be at the forefront of good employment practice.”
Ms White called on Parliament to impose a range of new employment measures, including allowing former staff members to make historical complaints about MPs.
Commons Leader Mel Stride told MPs there will be a “general debate” on the report followed by a “debate on a motion relating to the changes to the independent complaints and grievance scheme” next week.
We know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support
The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.
The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.
So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.
-
Show Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to leave a comment.Join the conversationPlease read our comment moderation policy here.
Sexual grooming is a British value. What do you expect from the so called British MPs who are the product of British education which made them stupid, selfish and corrupt.
I find it odd that where an alleged abuser is a celebrity, Harris, Seville, Clifford, Hall, Davidson etc etc the establishment insist that the victim is believed and the case investigated vigorously bringing great distress to the ALLEGED perpetrator. Now the playboy prince is accused and the establishment are falling over themselves to insist its not true and the girl should not be believed. IT STINKS. This family have a track record as far as taming around is concerned before they came to the throne. Look no further than Edward 7th, Edward 8th and the present Prince of Wales. Andrew should have chosen his friends rather more carefully and kept well clear of convicted US sex offenders. The denial by the the palace minions gives credence to the story.The toe licking business, seems to be a ‘family’ thing -was it not a few years ago when Andrew’s wife had hers done by some man! Nothing would surprise me, Diana always called them the firm. Look at his ancestor Henry the eight !! The allegation that he paid for sex with an underage girl is obviously not true. Technically, it was us that paid for it….I wish this would all stop, Prince Andrew is a Royal and it is well known they do not go in for this sort of thing. Clinton, had sex with a girl and then denied it all, then the truth came out. Of course they are going to cover it up. Jack the ripper???… Diana??? The higher up the social ladder the more chance of cover ups. He has always had a dark seedy side to his life Koo Stark, Fergie,( who if i remember rightly was licking sucking someone’s toes ?) now this Randy Andy was his nick name……He’s a Closet Pedo !! Let the law take its course. As he is not the crown he can be prosecuted. Those of a certain age can recall Princess Anne being charged with speeding, fined and licence endorsed..
In all such cases, denials are simply meaningless! No one expects the accused to say, “Sorry, I had forgotten about the incident, but now I have been reminded, I must confess, it was rather foolish of me, but I am guilty!” Since that will never happen, all denials must be dismissed, without the slightest hesitation! What is required, is a thorough investigation into the lady’s allegations, and the findings made public! The question that demands an answer is this, what is the motive for the this woman to accuse, of all people, the Prince whom she has never met? I have no doubt the Duke Of York is as innocent as many of the celebrities that have been accused of similar offences recently. Let’s hope this is the beginning of the end of the royal family. If any member of the Royal family had to pay for sex I would be completely astonished. The world is full of people who would jump into bed with any of them given the chance. Why ? because It’s deemed as newsworthy.. How many examples of the so called`royal` family living the high life at our expense and then having their track covered when things go pear shaped do you want?
When Profumo was challenged by the PM, shown a photo of Miss Keeler or Miss Rice-Davis , I can`t remember which, and asked `Did you have sex with this woman ?`. His reply was `Not with THAT woman` . I believe he had been shown a picture of the one he had not had sex with, so he nearly got away with it. However nowadays he would probably have resigned his seat and been gifted a seat in the Lords! Buckingham Palace have always favored the pedophile ( Jimmy Seville Rolf Harris ) while they refused entry to the queens garden party to Nick Griffin and his family because he stood by all our little children when exposing the Muslin pedophile gangs. if the people want the truth about all these paedophiles walking the British streets ,,,,, then Nick Griffin is a must to chair any investigation
Why oh why do theses celebs, princes, pop stars all deny their dirty deeds?. If they just came out and said “Yep I shagged him/her” there would be no news, nothing to bite on. The girl hated doing it with Andrew so much she did it 3 times?. So he banged a 17 year old, so what?, and she was a slave? Oh yeah right. I’m a Republican and despise royalty but this is just a woman regretting the fact that, at 17 she was as horny as hell and is now trying to assert some sort of respectability by saying she was forced. As I understand it the UK police are allowed under British law to investigate and prosecute all sex crimes committed here in the UK or abroad ??? so why is Scotland yard investigating these allegations ??? Sounds like a cover up here, one rule for royalty and one for everyone else , hey lets see a proper transparent investigation here !!!!! people of the UK should DEMAND this.
We were all saying Monika hadn’t performed a sexual act on the former USA president then bang after so long the truth came out. Well done girl if what you are saying is true let it come out even hard it can be, you have my support mainly for the way some minorities are treated in UK the police and government always take the side of the healthy one ignoring denying others of their rights. let it all out please I know I may pay to have said that but it is how it is happening here I am afraid. A certain figure denied it once and stayed silent, no charges have yet been brought against him, the cases in Rotherham and all the other cases at the BBC and the government cover up are all in the public domain now so it will get harder to hide, if this girl is murdered or dies in a convenient car crash even more questions will be raised.
Oh by the way, should have said, Mountbatten was a homosexual and `Hutch` serviced his wife for many many years. He was so grateful he paid for the singers headstone and grave when he passed away, bankrupt.If Mountbatten had been a serving sailor, and had been `caught in the act` or suspected, he would have been kicked out of the Navy. However the ROYAL family are beyond reproach. Do grow up! It all smells like Billingsgate fish market, doesn’t it…..and of course, the girl was forced to accept the £10,000 following the performance on the holiday paradise island, wasn’t she? Nevertheless, whoopee do, this is the stuff that sells tabloids and keeps the readership entertained.
I cannot understand Prince Andrew ever associating with this Jewish Pedophile Billionaire as these type of people are the worst PERVERTS on this Earth. Take that Jewish Scum Bag B—st–d Khan who raped that Hotel bedroom Cleaner in a New York Hotel. They were only going to nominate him to become the Head of the IMF Bank which a Jewish Slush Fund Bank where the Jews deposit all their Laundered ill gotten gained funds from Heists and Fraud monies derived from swindling the UK INLAND REVENUE or Tax System to evade paying their taxes on the Billions of earnings they have diverted through Tax Havens plus all the GOLD that Gordon Brown in collusion with Mervin King at the Bank of England a Jew went and sold it for peanuts ie $460 Dollars an ounce on 55 Tons of GOLD when he could have sold it for £1,960 dollars an ounce if he had waited. I’m sure the Crooks in the IMF will remunerate him well for ripping us all off here in the UK. I am afraid to say that Hitler was not the criminal as depicted. But rather another expansion of the truth by our Jewish Run Media. I hope you all saw the documentary of Robert Maxwell the bully who was just another demented pervert Jewish Crook who ripped of the Mirror News Papers Pension Fund for at least £800 million and left his workers having to go cap in hand to our Government for them to bail out his Bankrupted Pension Fund. Of course we the British Public picked up the tab for that. BWB.
The so called royal family seem to get away with excuses a lot of said plots for Diane as she was a naughty girl i still say the ginger isn’t Charles and looks sod like him.. he was in a nude episode good on him for having fun,the so called queen has inbred in the family that she doesn’t bother to go and see just left in a home to die.. she never has done anything for them and people still have some respect for the o bag.. she doesn’t even run this country as a real queen would of. this UK is a mess because maybe she should of got off her ares and did something. ie stop what’s moving in with out being vetted. I will never have respect for that family and hope in years to come they die off as not being very popular. rich for the rich and no real help for us workers..Andrew probably did as the royal set up a crash for die. never rung rite ..
IA
http://www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk