A series of allegations concerning the involvement of British politicians in cases of sexual harassment and assault arose in October and November 2017. Allegations were prompted by discussions among junior staff employed in the UK Parliament at Westminster following the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations in Hollywood earlier in October, and the subsequent rise of the #MeToo movement,[1][2][3] but spread further to cover all the major political parties, including political figures beyond Westminster.
Prime Minister Theresa May wrote to the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, asking for his assistance in establishing a "house-wide mediation service" supported by a "contractually binding grievance procedure" that would be available for all MPs. May also stated that current House of Commons disciplinary procedures required urgent reform, for they lacked "teeth".[4]
A spreadsheet that alleged various sexual improprieties by Conservative MPs – listed alongside consensual acts – was published in a redacted form by Guido Fawkes on 30 October 2017. It detailed complaints against 36 individual MPs; the complaints were said to have been compiled by aides working for the parliamentarians concerned.[5] The BBC's then-political editor Laura Kuenssberg described the list as containing "both a mixture of unsavoury allegations, reports of well-known relationships, and some claims that are furiously denied. There is just no way of knowing frankly, how much of it is true".[6]
In February 2020, historical allegations were examined in a report by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which claimed that both MPs and the police had turned a blind eye for years.[7]
- ^ Payne, Sebastian (30 October 2017). "Will sexual harassment in Westminster be as big as MPs expenses?". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 5 November 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ Stewart, Heather (31 October 2017). "Michael Fallon sorry for 'unwelcome' behaviour against female journalist". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 November 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ Cohen, Tamara (4 November 2017). "Sex pest scandal engulfing Westminster 'worse than expenses'". Sky News. Archived from the original on 4 November 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ Heather Stewart and Haroon Siddique (29 October 2017). "Tory minister faces inquiry after getting female assistant to buy sex toys". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 November 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
- ^ "'Parliament sex pest row' as PM vows to take action". BBC News. 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 26 November 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
- ^ "Calls for change in Westminster culture". BBC News. 31 October 2017. Archived from the original on 1 November 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
- ^ "Westminster abuse claims: Police and parties 'turned blind eye'". BBC News. 25 February 2020.