'Dossier of Shame': 'Noisy Sex' in Commons & 'D*ck Pics Sent to Female MPs' Trigger Calls For Reform

CC BY 2.0 / Eric Hossinger / Houses of Parliament at dusk, London, UKHouses of Parliament at dusk, London, UK
Houses of Parliament at dusk, London, UK - Sputnik International, 1920, 01.05.2022
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As Tory politician Neil Parish stands down as a Member of Parliament for Tiverton and Honiton after admitting to having watched pornography twice in the Commons, there have been renewed calls for action to be taken, prompted by a slew of bullying and sexual misconduct claims involving MPs.
There have been more than 90 accusations, ranging from sexual harassment to bribery and bullying in Parliament, according to a so-called “dossier of shame” against MPs put together by a Commons staffer, the Mail on Sunday reported.
One senior Tory MP is described as having pressured a female staff member for "sexual favours", and another reportedly offered a member of his staff a taxpayer-funded pay rise under the condition that part of the boost would find its way into his own pockets.
According to the newspaper, some claims were believed to be so grave that party bosses have been advised to take them “straight to the police”.
The report comes in the wake of the resignation announced by senior Tory Neil Parish on 30 April. The former MP for Tiverton and Honiton admitted to having twice watched pornography in the House of Commons. Parish claimed the first time was accidental after looking at tractors online but that the second was "a moment of madness".
An undated handout photograph released by the UK Parliament shows Conservative MP for Tiverton and Honiton, Neil Parish, posing for an official portrait photograph at the Houses of Parliament in London - Sputnik International, 1920, 30.04.2022
Tory MP Accused of Watching Porn in Commons Claims He Opened File by Mistake
In the wake of his revelation, The Sunday Times reported that 56 MPs and 70 complaints overall have been referred to Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievances Scheme (ICGS). Complaints which have been investigated reportedly range from sexual harassment to serious allegations of assault, and those who are being looked into include three Cabinet ministers and two members of the Labour shadow Cabinet.
One minister was accused of having engaged in “noisy sex” in his Commons office, and another Tory MP is believed to have sent a “d*ck pic” to a female colleague.
The list of alleged offences continues, with another politician ostensibly repeatedly warned for soliciting the services of prostitutes.
According to The Sunday Times, sources described one MP of getting so drunk on champagne at a parliamentary get-together that he or she had to be escorted out.
Another inebriated parliamentarian reportedly licked men's faces while romping in one of Parliament's bars.
Chamber of the House of Commons - Sputnik International, 1920, 01.05.2022
Commons Speaker Calls For 'Radical' Reform in Parliament as MP Resigns Over Porn 'Moment of Madness'
The renewed scrutiny of MPs' behaviour over allegations of sexual misconduct has triggered urgent calls for a “radical” reform of working practices in the House of Commons

“I take recent allegations of bullying and sexual impropriety very seriously, which is why it is time we reviewed our working practices, particularly whether it is right that individual MPs are the employers of their staff,” Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, said when announcing a special ‘Speaker’s Conference’ - in effect a cross-party committee - to examine the issue.

The Speaker has also suggested that staff should no longer be employed by the parliamentarians directly, with an outside body employing aides.

“In my opinion, it is time to consider radical action, and review structures and processes that could make a difference. Some serious allegations have been made, and we must tackle them as a matter of urgency. It is imperative we do the right thing by staff and MPs as well,” Hoyle wrote in the Observer on Sunday.

Weighing in on the reports, UK Business Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, denied that there is a “culture of misogyny” in Parliament.
“Generally, most MPs have a sense of responsibility ... in some instances people do act irresponsibly,” he said on Sky News, adding that shutting Parliament's bars would be “excessively puritanical”.
Andrea Leadsom, the former leader of the Commons, who in 2018 spearheaded the establishment of the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), was cited by The Sunday Times as saying:

“Things haven't changed and that's because there aren't enough cases coming through and it's taking too long for investigations to come to an end. It's only when you see people getting done for being blind drunk and subjected to the appropriate sanctions that people will start to think twice about their behaviour.”

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