Three Conservative cabinet ministers have reportedly faced sexual harassment allegations after being reported to a parliamentary oversight body.
According to The Sunday Times, two Labor cabinet ministers have also been targeted by the Independent Complaints and Complaints Scheme (ICGS), which deals with complaints against lawmakers.
A total of 56 MPs were reportedly reported to the ICGS – and allegations ranged from making sexually inappropriate comments to alleging that one MP “bribed a staff member in exchange for sexual services”.
Image: Downing Street and Labor said they could not comment
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The ICGS was set up in 2018 and maintains a hotline that allows Westminster staff – including MP staff – to file complaints or seek advice.
Last year, the organization’s annual report said its service had also been used by people who said they were MPs.
The allegations made to the ICGS are private and confidential, which means that political parties do not receive information about who is being reported.
The FDA, a union representing civil servants, has warned that more needs to be done to eliminate harassment in parliament – and although complaint procedures have improved, “the main balance of power between lawmakers and the staff they hire , it is not so “.
Secretary-General Dave Penman said: “Parliamentary authorities need to address the root causes of harassment and harassment, rather than simply relying on an enforcement mechanism that protects only those who feel able to lodge complaints.”
A government spokesman said: “We take all allegations of this nature very seriously and will encourage anyone who has any allegations to contact the relevant authorities.”
Downing Street and Labor said they could not comment.
Image: Imran Khan left Wakefield MP after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a teenager before being elected to the Conservative Party
The Sunday Times report comes after Imran Khan resigned as a Wakefield MP after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a teenager before being elected to the Conservative Party.
Meanwhile, David Warburton pulled out a Tory whip after a photo appeared showing the MP pictured along with white lines.
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