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Leadsom pledges support team for victims of sexual harassment in parliament Leadsom pledges support team for Westminster sexual misconduct victims
(about 2 hours later)
Andrea Leadsom has promised MPs that she will establish a dedicated support team in parliament to enable staff and researchers to report incidents of sexual harassment. Andrea Leadsom promised that the government would take action to ensure sexual misconduct at Westminster did not go unpunished, as MPs raised concerns of a “toxic atmosphere” in a parliamentary debate.
The leader of the House of Commons said the team would refer complaints where appropriate to the police, in response to an urgent question from the Labour MP Harriet Harman about a series of allegations that have emerged in recent days. The leader of the House of Commons was responding to an urgent question raised by the Labour MP Harriet Harman about stories of alleged harassment that have emerged in recent days.
“No woman – or man for that matter – coming to work in this house should be subjected to unwanted sexual advances from those who are in a position of power over them. The Commons heard one MP complain of an incident of a “sexual assault” at Westminster that had not been properly investigated and a second say that her concerns about bawdy bar room culture had been rebuffed.
“No one should have to work in a toxic atmosphere of sleazy, sexist or homophobic banter. No MP, let alone a minister, should think it is something to make jokes about,” Harman said. With Theresa May sitting alongside her, Leadsom set out plans to strengthen the independent helpline that Commons staff can use to report allegations of misconduct and said a dedicated support team would provide pastoral care and, where appropriate, help victims report cases to the police.
Leadsom was accompanied by Theresa May, sitting on the front bench during the debate. “Everyone in this house must be clear that whenever a serious allegation is made, the individual should go to the police and be supported in doing so,” she said.
The urgent question came after it had emerged over the weekend that trade minister Mark Garnier admitted encouraging an assistant to buy sex toys, and the former work and pensions secretary Stephen Crabb confessed to engaging in “sexual chatter” with a 19-year-old who had applied for a job in his office. She said all options would remain open for punishing perpetrators. “In the case of staff, they could forfeit their jobs; in the case of members of parliament, they could have the whip withdrawn and they could be fired from ministerial office.”
Leadsom said an independent helpline that already exists would be given more resources, would help victims to report their experiences and would provide pastoral care. Over the weekend, trade minister Mark Garnier admitted he had asked his former assistant to buy sex toys; the former work and pensions secretary Stephen Crabb apologised for “sexual chatter” with a 19-year-old job applicant; and Westminster staff compiled a list of more than 30 Conservative MPs accused of sleazy behaviour.
“It is absolutely right that the house must address the urgent issue of alleged mistreatment of staff by members of parliament. These allegations make clear that there is a vital need to provide better support and protection for the thousands of staff working in Westminster and in constituency offices across the country,” she said. In the debate, Harman said: “No woman, or man for that matter, coming to work in this house should be subjected to unwanted sexual advances from those who are in a position of power over them.
Leadsom said the new policies should apply to interns and civil servants as well as MPs’ staff – and made clear that sanctions could include ministers losing their jobs, or MPs losing their party whip. “No one should have to work in a toxic atmosphere of sleazy, sexist or homophobic banter. No MP, let alone a minister, should think it is something to make jokes about.” The environment secretary, Michael Gove, was forced to apologise at the weekend after making a joke about the Harvey Weinstein affair.
“If someone is made to feel uncomfortable, or believes that others have acted inappropriately towards them, they should be able to contact an external, independent support team,” she said. After Leadsom spoke, MPs on all sides took turns to condemn a culture in which powerful politicians can exploit the vulnerability of younger staff, who are employed directly by MPs themselves.
“Everyone in this house must be clear that whenever a serious allegation is made, the individual should go to the police, and be supported in doing so.” The Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts said a member of staff had told her about an incident of sexual assault that had not been properly investigated. “A worker employed as staff of a member in this house told me today that she reported being sexually assaulted to the proper authorities earlier this year, who did nothing,” she said. “She is deeply disappointed and distrustful, and she tells me that distrust is endemic.”
“Your age, gender or job title should have no bearing on the way you are treated in a modern workforce, and no one should be an exception to that.” Leadsom replied that she was happy to meet the woman and discuss the allegations personally.
The Labour MP Chi Onwurah told Leadsom she had raised concerns with Commons authorities about the bawdy culture in the “Sports and Social”, a Commons bar frequented by MPs and researchers, but had been rebuffed.
Onwurah, MP for Newcastle Central, told the Guardian that young researchers - male and female - had raised concerns with her about being made to feel uncomfortable by MPs’ behaviour in the bar. “When I did complain to an officer of the House, I was told that sort of thing might happen in bars across the country,” she said.
Leadsom said: “It is absolutely right that the house must address the urgent issue of alleged mistreatment of staff by members of parliament. These allegations make clear that there is a vital need to provide better support and protection for the thousands of staff working in Westminster and in constituency offices across the country.”
Before Leadsom spoke, the Speaker, John Bercow, put the onus on May and the other party leaders, rather than House of Commons authorities, to crack down on sexual harassment.Before Leadsom spoke, the Speaker, John Bercow, put the onus on May and the other party leaders, rather than House of Commons authorities, to crack down on sexual harassment.
The prime minister wrote to Bercow on Sunday urging him to coordinate efforts to introduce a contractually binding grievance procedure to cover MPs’ staff. But the Speaker said it was up to political parties to make changes. “The prime minister’s letter to me, written as leader of the Conservative party, very candidly admits the difficulties the Conservative party has had in introducing the sort of mandatory grievance scheme which some other parties have introduced in recent years. It does not require my intervention for the party to adopt an effective grievance scheme,” he said.
“The prime minister’s letter to me, written as leader of the Conservative party, very candidly admits the difficulties the Conservative party has had in introducing the sort of mandatory grievance scheme which some other parties have introduced in recent years. It does not require my intervention for the party to adopt an effective grievance scheme.” Earlier, a report in the London Evening Standard, edited by the former chancellor George Osborne, claimed David Cameron had tried to introduce such a scheme, but the 1922 committee of backbench Conservative MPs blocked it.
Earlier, a report in the London Evening Standard, edited by the former chancellor George Osborne, claimed that David Cameron had tried to introduce such a scheme, but the 1922 committee of backbench Conservative MPs had blocked it. Graham Brady, the chair of the 1922 committee, denied that claim, saying the Cameron plans had involved giving party whips too much power.
Like Leadsom, Bercow said the police should be involved where an allegation of assault has been made. “Let me make it clear: there must be zero tolerance of sexual harassment or bullying, here at Westminster or elsewhere.” “It’s clearly important that parliamentary staff know what recourse there is in event of them suffering abuse or harassment. There is already some support available but it is not sufficiently well signposted,” Brady said. “It is essential, though, that this support is provided by the House of Commons as a whole and not by political parties which can be deeply conflicted in these instances.”
Earlier, May’s official spokesman had said she was “deeply concerned” by allegations of sexual misconduct. The spokesman pointedly declined to confirm that May had full confidence in Garnier, who is the subject of an internal government inquiry. Earlier, May’s official spokesman said she was “deeply concerned” by allegations of sexual misconduct. He pointedly declined to confirm that May had full confidence in Garnier, who is the subject of an internal government inquiry.
But amid reports of several dozen Tory MPs and ministers being named as behaving in a sexually inappropriate way on a list drawn up by party aides, May’s spokesman declined to say whether she had sought information on potential wrongdoing. The spokesman said he could not give a “running commentary” on what was happening but denied that May had seen an alleged dossier compiled by party whips on MPs’ behaviour. “There is no dossier and therefore the prime minister hasn’t seen one,” he said.
The spokesman denied that May had seen an alleged dossier compiled by party whips on MPs’ behaviour, saying: “There is no dossier and therefore the prime minister hasn’t seen one.” He added that he could not give a running commentary on what was happening.
He said he did not know of any allegations of wrongdoing beyond that connected to Garnier, who has admitted asking a former assistant to buy sex toys and calling her “sugar tits”.