Accusations of sexual abuse, harassment and serious sexual harassment against MPs are treated as “mere gossip”, dozens of Conservative employees have said, urging Boris Johnson and party headquarters to do more to address the issue.
The group of staff working for Conservative MPs said “the behavior committed by a few individuals but tolerated by others has tarnished the reputation” of parliament.
His intervention follows a series of incidents, including the arrest of a Conservative MP on suspicion of rape, a second imprisonment for sexually assaulting a child and another under investigation for allegations of sexual harassment.
In a letter seen by the Guardian, employees warned: “A culture of gossip and rumors has allowed tolerance and acceptance of abuse for too long. That needs to change.”
They said that “persistent stories of abuse and denigration of the rules in parliament” had left them “embarrassed” and that improvements to the harassment reporting system were not enough.
“Making abuse easier to report does not change the root cause: a culture of indifference and fear,” they wrote.
“Everywhere you look today, the tide of protectionist sentiment is flowing.
“We understand that the power to make changes often lies outside the parliament, the government and the political parties themselves.
“However, all that is needed for evil to prosper is for good people to stay on the lookout and do nothing. Change must come from above: MPs must call the behavior of their colleagues and put an end to this constant cycle of scandals that pollutes us all. “
The letter, organized by two staff members and sent to the Prime Minister, Conservative Party President Oliver Dowden, and the President of the Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, added that “sexual abuse, harassment and school harassment have begun. to become synonymous with “politics” and “important denunciations.” of illegal behavior are treated as mere gossip ”.
The group called on the party to “maintain the decency of common sense of the British people and confront such clearly wrong behavior” and called for changes.
They urged the Conservative Headquarters (CCHQ) to incorporate an assessment of how potential candidates say they would treat staff and run their office professionally in the selection process.
And the whip office was asked to make sure the investigators had the whip suspended.
The whip office, in charge of party discipline, refused to withdraw the whip from the deputy arrested on suspicion of rape earlier this month, and another MP arrested for the same reason in 2020.
Several sources suggested that figures from the whip office and the party headquarters had been pressuring people who were being asked to sign the letter and asking them not to do so, although this was discussed.
A spokesman for the whip chief said: “The whips office values the work done by all members of parliamentary staff and will always work to ensure that they are cared for in parliament.”
One who signed the letter told the Guardian, “Being a Member of Parliament should be the greatest honor of your life. It is not an excuse to use your power and privilege to try to turn the mother of parliaments into a call shop.”
Other staff members rejected the letter, saying it was too disrespectful to the government and therefore unlikely to lead to the desired changes.
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It is understood that the organizers had a meeting with the big whip on Thursday.
A Conservative party spokesman said all complaints were taken seriously and that staff could “file complaints or speak to our human resources team at any time if they want advice”. They added that all candidates must subscribe to the party’s code of conduct, constitution and equal opportunity policy.
A government spokesman said “there is no room for harassment, harassment or sexual misconduct in parliament” and that “we take all claims of this nature incredibly seriously and would encourage anyone who have complaints to the competent authorities “.
They added: “Addressing these issues is a right issue for parliament and the prime minister is fully committed to working with parliamentary authorities, the president’s office and, across the board, to improve culture in parliament.”