British parliamentarians who bully or sexually harass staff could be suspended or sacked under proposals from an all-party working group at Westminster.
In a report issued on Thursday, the group found that almost one in five people working at Westminster have experienced or witnessed sexual harassment or inappropriate behaviour in the past year.
The group was established following a succession of revelations and allegations of misconduct by MPs and peers, which led to ministerial resignations and the withdrawal of the party whip from MPs.
The group, which was chaired by leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom, called for a new complaints and investigation procedure free of party control, with real sanctions against wrongdoers.
“We all recognise the need for robust procedures to change the culture in parliament and for this place to set the best example of a workplace that protects and supports all those working in it,” Ms Leadsom told the House of Commons.
Under the proposals, a new code of behaviour would cover all staff, MPs and peers, with separate complaints procedures to deal with sexual harassment and bullying. Under the complaints procedures, both the complainant and the person accused would remain anonymous until a finding was made.
“It is recognised that parliamentarians are under a constant media spotlight and that due to the nature of political discourse there is a risk of malicious and/or vexatious complaints against those who work in the Palace of Westminster either as MPs, peers or staff.
“The new procedures must ensure checks and balances are in place to guard against such complaints. At the same time, the new scheme must put arrangements in place to minimise the well-documented risk of underreporting by those experiencing sexual or other forms of harassment or bullying,” the group’s report says.
Complaints procedure
If a complaint against an MP or peer is found to be credible, it would be referred to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
Proposed sanctions include the temporary suspension of an MP or peer and, in the most serious cases, an MP’s recall to face a summary byelection, leaving the final decision to constituents.
“I believe we have proposed a set of policies that will fundamentally change the working culture in parliament,” Ms Leadsom said.
Labour's shadow Commons leader Valerie Vaz welcomed the report, calling for its recommendations to be implemented without delay.
"Labour will be advocating that relevant bodies do their utmost to ensure the group's recommendations are put into place as a matter of urgency. This includes mandatory training for MPs, lords and staff on consent, equalities, tackling bullying and harassment, and trade union recognition, to ensure staff are able to collectively raise grievances and lobby for changes to rules and procedures," she said.
