A parliamentary aide said a male MP pressured her to sit on his lap as staffers spoke out about a “predatory culture” that persists in Westminster.
It comes after a string of harassment and bullying scandals hit the House of Commons in recent years, with several MPs facing misconduct claims currently suspended.
Five current and one former parliamentary staff members told BBC Newsnight that inappropriate flirting and touching is prevalent, with older MPs and staffers sometimes targeting younger women.
Ellie Varley, a parliamentary aide to Tory MP Dehenna Davison, took the rare step of going on the record to say she is “frankly just angry” with the state of affairs as she recounted being asked to sit on an MP’s knee.
The 25-year-old told the programme: “He just kept saying just come sit on my lap. And I was like, ‘I’m fine, thank you. I don’t want to sit on your lap’.”
The politician’s demands continued until she reluctantly agreed in order to “get him off my case”, she said.
The MP was not named, but the BBC reported he is one of a number to be suspended over separate allegations.
Ms Varley also said some “big names in Westminster” believe they can do what they want and get away with it, and said she had separately been bombarded with messages.
“I’ve had it when people have texted me incessantly being like, ‘Are you out tonight?’, ‘What are you doing?’. And not getting the hint if I don’t reply after you’ve messaged six times.”
She said everyone who works in Parliament knows stories of harassment and that the issue “transcends party politics”.
But people do not “trust the system” or feel safe to report problems, Ms Varley said, while other staffers criticised the complaints process.
The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) was set up in 2018 with cross-party backing as an independent process to deal with complaints against MPs.
But it has come under fire for the slow pace of its investigations.
An unnamed senior Commons official told Newsnight the scheme was “useless” in dealing with what he described as a “predatory culture”.
A House of Commons spokesperson said “there is more work to be done” to improve things.
They said in a statement: “Bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct have absolutely no place in Parliament, and we take any complaint of unacceptable behaviour extremely seriously. We remain committed to ensuring that lasting cultural change can be achieved here.
“The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) was set up five years ago to look into allegations of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct in Parliament. Supporting the Behaviour Code, it is the first scheme of its kind in any parliament around the world. It has enabled, and will continue to enable, Parliament to identify and deal effectively with unacceptable behaviour.
“For many, the ICGS has provided confidential and sensitive support and allowed for the delivery of robust, independent investigation of complaints, which had not been possible prior to its establishment.
“However – though much has been achieved in the last five years, we know there is more work to be done. The ICGS always seeks to learn from every case, striving to deliver a compassionate and effective service that everyone in Parliament can be proud of, contributing to building a workplace where everyone feels safe and valued. The ICGS is here for every member of the parliamentary community – we urge anyone who needs it, to use it.”
A union representing senior civil servants said “changing an entire parliamentary culture cannot just rely on the ICGS alone”.
FDA national officer Jawad Raza said: “Those in leadership positions across the political spectrum must take responsibility to drive that wider culture change.”
That should include banning MPs from the Parliamentary estate if they face allegations of sexual or violent offending, he said.
“Parliament should be a safe environment for everyone who works there and leadership in the House must show that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated,” he added.
Mike Clancy, general secretary of the Prospect union which represents workers in Parliament, said: “A complaints system can only work if its investigations are timely and if people are clear that perpetrators will face appropriate censure. Part of that has to be giving Parliament the ability to exclude MPs from the House when they are accused of serious misconduct.
“As such the Government must bring forward a vote on exclusion proposals at the soonest opportunity.”
Bishop Auckland MP Ms Davison praised her head of communications Ms Varley for coming forward, tweeting: “Incredibly proud of Ellie for speaking out about this. The culture in Westminster has to change.”
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