The new prime minister must deal with the “toxic” culture in Westminster, campaigners said after fresh allegations emerged of sexual misconduct at the heart of Boris Johnson’s governmen thetimes.co.uk/article/new-se…
A cabinet minister and a senior No 10 aide have been accused of sexual misconduct by two women who worked in the Conservative Party thetimes.co.uk/article/cabine…
One alleged victim, a Tory aide, told Sky News that she had been “sexually assaulted by someone who’s now a cabinet minister”, while the other woman, a former parliamentary staff member, claimed she was groped by a senior No 10 employee before his appointment
The allegations emerged as Johnson prepared to leave Downing Street in disgrace, following a series of scandals, including his handling of separate accusations of inappropriate behaviour by Chris Pincher, the Tories’ former deputy chief whip
Claire Roughton, one of Pincher’s constituents in Tamworth, where he remains an MP, said the latest claims should trigger “a whole look at the utter corruption within politics as a whole” thetimes.co.uk/article/chris-…
Johnson’s administration had been beset by so many scandals “it’s hard to keep up with them”, she said. “We still have Pincher as MP of Tamworth. I don’t have much faith that any [alleged] victims will receive any justice
🗣️ “It seems like they [Conservative politicians] are a law unto themselves, because I am pretty certain you or I would not be allowed to carry on if we had behaved this way”
The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, a parliamentary watchdog, was set up in 2018 in the aftermath of the #MeToo movement and the “Pestminster” scandal, to investigate claims of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct on the parliamentary estate
The Labour MP Jess Phillips said this was a step in the right direction “but these latest reports show there is still a long way to go”
She said:
🗣️ “Until it seems like [the scheme] has got ultimate teeth and can be trusted and that it won’t be messed with because people are friends with the prime minister, or anyone with power, we’re still sort of just off the first block"
🗣️ “Until it seems like [the scheme] has got ultimate teeth and can be trusted and that it won’t be messed with because people are friends with the prime minister, or anyone with power, we’re still sort of just off the first block"
Read more here👇 thetimes.co.uk/article/new-se…
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