British Conservative Sex Scandal Spreads

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Tue, 2017-10-31 01:55

jerrym

A quickly growing sex scandal is hitting the Conservative party and raising questions of why PM Theresa May has not dealt with it.

Waves from the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal crested across the Atlantic and crashed through the hallowed halls of British democracy this past weekend, with multiple members of Parliament facing accusations of sexual misconduct by legislative staffers. ...

The scandal started in earnest last week, when The Sun newspaper reported that female researchers, secretaries, and aides employed by MPs had formed a Whatsapp texting group to share horror stories about sexual misconduct by legislators. One MP was deemed “not safe in taxis,” while another was characterized as “very handsy.” ....

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called the issue was “very serious.” “Where there is an unequal power relationship in the workplace and women become vulnerable as a result of it, they have to be supported, they have to be protected,” he said.

The Sun omitted the names of the MPs being accused of sexual misconduct but suggested that—in the wake of the #MeToo campaign urging women to share their stories—the lawmakers’ identities would emerge in coming days. ...

The scandal escalated even further on Monday when The Times of London reported that a group of current and former parliamentary researchers—men and women alike—had compiled a spreadsheet titled ‘High libido MPs’ that listed unverified offenses by 37 Conservative male and female MPs, including 15 Cabinet members. (The Times also reported that four Labour MP have been accused of harassing young women.) The dossier includes claims that two Conservative lawmakers used the services of prostitutes, accusations that a female MP had extramarital sex with a young male researcher, and allegations that two MPs got their mistresses pregnant. Twenty-five MPs are accused of treating female researchers inappropriately.

http://fortune.com/2017/10/30/uk-parliament-sexual-harassment-scandal/

Tue, 2017-10-31 02:02

jerrym

Allegations that reports of MP sexual misconduct have been ignored.

The Westminster sexual harassment scandal has deepened after it was claimed authorities in Parliament failed to deal with an assault allegation made by a woman working for an MP – despite her reporting it four times.

The female staffer who suffered the alleged sexual assault confided it to another MP, who on Monday exposed the situation during a House of Commons debate.

A different MP said instances of sexually inappropriate behaviour towards young workers had been disregarded by the authorities, while a senior backbencher claimed attempts to strengthen protections for Commons workers had been blocked by political parties. ...

But it was in the Commons chamber on Monday evening that the new allegation of an assault emerged, as the growing scandal looked set to dominate the week in politics. ...

Liz Saville Roberts MP told colleagues: “A worker employed as staff of a Member in this House told me today that she reported being sexually assaulted to the proper authorities earlier this year, who did nothing. She is deeply disappointed and distrustful and she tells me that distrust is endemic. How can I assure her that her complaint will now be treated differently?”

The Plaid Cymru member later told The Independent the victim had been so incensed at the assault and lack of an adequate response, that she reported it to the authorities four times in the hope action would be taken. ...

In the end she was told to go to the police, but when she did the case was not taken further.

Ms Saville Roberts told The Independent: “You would expect this place to be setting an example and not lagging behind what is normal workplace practice anywhere else in the country.”

Ms Leadsom said in the chamber that she would personally listen to the woman’s allegation and deal with it herself, but the problem of inappropriate behaviour was also reported by others.

Labour Newcastle MP Chi Onwurah told of instances she had heard of that took place in the Sports and Social bar in the Palace of Westminster, a place where young staffers and MPs can regularly be found drinking in the evening.

She said : “When I complained recently to an officer of Parliament who had some responsibility in this area, that I knew a number of researchers, male and female, who had been made to feel deeply uncomfortable in the Sports and Social club here, by Members of Parliament, I was told that that happens in pubs all over the country.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mps-sexual-assault-parliam...

Wed, 2017-11-01 18:06

jerrym

The British Defence Minister has resigned today as a result of the sex scandal. Others involved in the scandal are also discussed below.

Michael Fallon has resigned as defence secretary, admitting that his behaviour towards women in the past has “fallen short”, as the Conservatives struggle to contain the growing scandal about sexual harassment at Westminster.

Fallon apologised earlier this week over an incident 15 years ago in which he made unwanted advances to the journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer, repeatedly placing his hand on her knee – although Hartley-Brewer herself insisted, “No one was remotely upset or distressed.”

But friends of Fallon suggested that there may have been similar incidents more recently, saying, “He would absolutely concede that some of the flirtation has been inappropriate.” Allegations of inappropriate behaviour have been swirling around Westminster since the Harvey Weinstein abuse scandal encouraged women to speak out about their experiences of sexual abuse or harassment. ...

A close ally of the prime minister, Green has strenuously denied making unwanted sexual advances towards Kate Maltby, an academic involved in Conservative politics. May ordered an investigation by the cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood into the claims on Wednesday.

Fallon resigned on the day Theresa May toughened her proposals for dealing with sexual misconduct in politics by promising that complaints could be referred to an independent body, as more accounts of incidents emerged.

A woman told the Evening Standard that a Conservative MP she worked for sexually assaulted her in her office at the House of Commons, approaching her from behind and grabbing at her crotch. In a separate account, James Greenhalgh, a former parliamentary intern, told the BBC he was approached outside one of the bars in the House of Commons by a former MP in 2011 who put his arm around him and then went on to assault him. ...

Some MPs have partly blamed a culture of drinking at Westminster for creating situations where sexual harassment has arisen. Nadine Dorries, a Tory MP, suggested that MPs’ staff should be restricted from going to bars on the parliamentary estate in the evenings and that the Sport and Social Club where many drink should be shut down. ...

Fallon’s name was on the “sleaze list” spreadsheet of 40 Conservative MPs accused of sexual misbehaviour compiled by party staff, although the list has been largely discredited because many of the other entries on the list have proved to be innocuous or inaccurate. ...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/01/michael-fallon-quits-as...

Wed, 2017-11-01 18:11

(Reply to #3) #4

Sean in Ottawa

jerrym wrote:

The British Defence Minister has resigned today as a result of the sex scandal. Others involved in the scandal are also discussed below.

Michael Fallon has resigned as defence secretary, admitting that his behaviour towards women in the past has “fallen short”, as the Conservatives struggle to contain the growing scandal about sexual harassment at Westminster.

Fallon apologised earlier this week over an incident 15 years ago in which he made unwanted advances to the journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer, repeatedly placing his hand on her knee – although Hartley-Brewer herself insisted, “No one was remotely upset or distressed.”

But friends of Fallon suggested that there may have been similar incidents more recently, saying, “He would absolutely concede that some of the flirtation has been inappropriate.” Allegations of inappropriate behaviour have been swirling around Westminster since the Harvey Weinstein abuse scandal encouraged women to speak out about their experiences of sexual abuse or harassment. ...

A close ally of the prime minister, Green has strenuously denied making unwanted sexual advances towards Kate Maltby, an academic involved in Conservative politics. May ordered an investigation by the cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood into the claims on Wednesday.

Fallon resigned on the day Theresa May toughened her proposals for dealing with sexual misconduct in politics by promising that complaints could be referred to an independent body, as more accounts of incidents emerged.

A woman told the Evening Standard that a Conservative MP she worked for sexually assaulted her in her office at the House of Commons, approaching her from behind and grabbing at her crotch. In a separate account, James Greenhalgh, a former parliamentary intern, told the BBC he was approached outside one of the bars in the House of Commons by a former MP in 2011 who put his arm around him and then went on to assault him. ...

Some MPs have partly blamed a culture of drinking at Westminster for creating situations where sexual harassment has arisen. Nadine Dorries, a Tory MP, suggested that MPs’ staff should be restricted from going to bars on the parliamentary estate in the evenings and that the Sport and Social Club where many drink should be shut down. ...

Fallon’s name was on the “sleaze list” spreadsheet of 40 Conservative MPs accused of sexual misbehaviour compiled by party staff, although the list has been largely discredited because many of the other entries on the list have proved to be innocuous or inaccurate. ...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/01/michael-fallon-quits-as...

When they had the debate in the house the men mostly did not show up. Completely disgusting.

Wed, 2017-11-01 19:44

Mr. Magoo

Plenty of women came forward to tell their stories about Bill Cosby but it never seemed to gain much traction. It's fascinating to see that after Harvey Weinstein was outed, it's actually spreading. I'm not sure what concrete and meaningful changes are going to be made in the world because of it, but it looks like Weinstein might have broken the camel's back. Kevin Spacey, Dustin Hoffman and Jeremy Piven are all sweating right now, and there's sure to be more.

Fri, 2017-11-03 02:06

jerrym

There are also allegations against members of the Labour party.

A senior Labour party activist has said she was raped at a party event in 2011 and later advised by a party official not to make a formal complaint. Bex Bailey, a former member of Labour’s National Executive Committee, told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme that her assailant had not been an MP, but someone more senior than her in the party. While she initially “sort of shut away” the attack, she had a “cold, horrible” experience when, two years later, she felt able to report it. The person she contacted discouraged her from taking action. “I was told that if I did it might damage me and that might be their genuine view. It might be that that was the case, in which case that shows that we have a serious problem in politics with this issue anyway,” said Ms Bailey. The Labour party said it took Ms Bailey’s allegation “extremely seriously” and has launched an investigation.

“We would strongly recommend that the police investigate the allegations of criminal actions that Bex Bailey has made,” the party said. Yvette Cooper, the Labour MP who chairs the home affairs committee, said Labour should appoint an “independent sexual violence adviser” who could “come in and provide that support so you have got somebody you can go and report to who you know is not going to be a friend of the person who you might be making the complaint about”. Ms Bailey’s allegation is the most serious yet to surface in a scandal which has absorbed Westminster.

Also on Tuesday, a Westminster staffer said she had been sexually assaulted by an MP on a hotel bed on a foreign trip last year and that her subsequent complaint had not been treated seriously enough by the House of Commons authorities or the MP’s party.

https://www.ft.com/content/95cee59e-be4c-11e7-9836-b25f8adaa111