Bullying and harassment is “widespread” in Westminster and some MPs’ behaviour has fallen “far short”, a new report has found.
Gemma White QC, whose independent report into bullying in parliament is published today, has urged MPs to “move more swiftly” because staff are “subject to an unacceptable risk of bullying and harassment, including sexual harassment, at work”.
During the independent investigation, White was told employees have had to deal with “forceful”, unwanted, sexual advances from MPs, as well as having objects thrown at them during bouts of “uncontrollable rage”.
“I ... received detailed contributions from a number of individuals who described specific experiences of sexual harassment to me,” White said.
“Of these, most people described being sexually harassed by Members of Parliament, with some individual contributors describing sexual harassment by a number of different MPs.
“The behaviour described to me ranged from ‘jokes’ regarded by those making them - and in one case the MP to whom the member of staff complained - as acceptable workplace banter, all the way through to conduct which can only be described as very serious sexual assault.”
She added: “Many of the experiences related to me were of unwelcome sexual advances, often accompanied by attempts at kissing.
“Many involved some form of unwanted touching: for example breasts being grabbed, buttocks being slapped, thighs being stroked and crotches being pressed/rubbed against bodies.”
White said there must be a “fundamental shift” away from the MPs’ offices operating as “650 small businesses”.
The report was ordered in the wake of the Me Too movement and a number of high-profile sex harassment cases in Westminster came to light.
While the barrister’s report, which took evidence from 220 people, found sex harassment had taken place, workplace bullying was more prevalent.
She said: “By far the most common form of offending behaviour described to me was of MPs who shout at, demean, belittle and humiliate their staff on a regular basis, often in public.
“The constant ‘drip, drip’, as more than one contributor put it, eats away at the employee’s self-confidence until they become anxious, exhausted and ill, incapable of performing their job and (often following a period of sick-leave) resign or are dismissed.”
She said that while many MPs were described as “excellent employers, colleagues and managers” there was a minority that “behave in ways which are not acceptable and fall far short of what we should expect from our elected representatives”.
She said: “Workplace harassment and bullying by MPs towards staff has been tolerated and accepted for too long. It has seriously affected the health and welfare of far too many people.
“There is a pressing need for a collective response to what is clearly a significant problem.”
The report included a number of quotes from people who work for MPs in parliament.
One staff member told the investigation: “As long as getting political jobs in parliament are dependent on who you know and who you’re related to, sexual harassment will be a necessary evil for ambitious young... people like me who will choose our careers over our comfort every time.”
Another said: “Working in the Houses of Parliament is meant to be an honour, but the actions of some MPs and staff members destroys any sense of pride.
“We are expendable staffers, with no independent HR service, and therefore no recourse.”
White has set out a series of recommendations, including a fully resourced department within the Commons to address MPs’ behaviour and employment practice.
She said that voluntary training programmes were not the answer and said MPs’ staff were “in a uniquely vulnerable position because they are directly employed” by elected representatives.
“Many [staff members] describe the idea of complaining about bullying and harassment under the new complaints procedure as ‘career suicide’,” she said.
“They also often have strong party and personal loyalties which constitute significant barriers to complaint.”
She added: “While the House of Commons is not alone in tolerating these behaviours, it is the home of our policy makers and a taxpayer-funded institution. It should therefore be at the forefront of good employment practice.”
Reacting to White’s report, the House of Commons Commission said: “We condemn bullying and harassment of MPs’ staff and offer our full support to anyone in the parliamentary community who has suffered in this way.
“The commission does not employ the staff of MPs as they are employed by MPs themselves, or via political parties.
“However, the commission takes very seriously its responsibility to ensure that parliament is a modern workplace.”
White’s investigation was ordered last year by the then leader of the House, Andrea Leadsom, following a highly critical report by Dame Laura Cox which highlighted the widespread bullying and harassment of staff.
Jennifer Nadel, co-founder of the Compassion in Politics campaign, said the report showed the “need to urgently re-think the way we do politics”.
She said: “It’s apparent that repeated warnings about the epidemic of bullying haven’t been acted on with the sensitivity required. But we cannot address the symptom without also addressing the causes. Underlying this epidemic in bullying is an adversarial, two-party system that encourages division, derision and abuses of power.
“The system not only enshrines a culture of bullying but also militates against forming policies that are inclusive and compassionate. It is time to urgently rethink how we do politics and to shift from a binary system that has fostered division and conflict to one that promotes inclusion, compassion and respect. The solutions exist but many politicians remain unwilling to relinquish the power that that would entail.”