From the time of speaking to the use of electronic devices to the dress code, habits and customs are a legacy within the House of Commons. But for the past few weeks, these rules of good conduct have seemed particularly false. The press has uncovered several scandals in the British Parliament that resonate like thunder among our neighbors across the channel, reports Politico.
On April 14, a Conservative MP resigned after being found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. A few days later, an investigation was opened against another Conservative MP for viewing pornography on his mobile phone in the middle of the House of Commons. Meanwhile, Labor MP Liam Byrne was suspended for two days for repeatedly threatening a member of his team.
Another scandal broke out early last week when the newspaper The Mail circulated a false article on Sunday “Charging the deputy leader of the opposition party of crossing his legs and trying to unheard the prime minister during the debate”, AP News reports. The case has sparked outrage from many elected officials, who have also launched an urgent appeal against the ubiquitous malpractices in the British political scene.
As Politico points out, after the #MeToo movement in 2018, despite the introduction of the Independent Complaints and Grievances Scheme (ICGS), “resulted in the approval of several deputies for unacceptable behavior”The hostile attitude persists.
a “cultural problem”
Politico reports the testimony of a parliamentary aide who suggests she was attacked by a senior official who is still in office, but who has yet to decide whether she will report it, unfortunately. For all the usual reasons.
“it’s scaryHe told the newspaper. i’m afraid if [cette affaire] Not taken seriously, I become a nuisance and future employers will still have a good opinion of him, but I will be considered a troublemaker.
According to remarks from MPs still collected by the newspaper, it appears that most women working in Westminster “Prefers to rely on a ‘network of whispers’ – warning people to avoid each other – rather than going through the hassle of a formal complaint, which may lead nowhere”,
These evidences are numerous, and if they are more visible today, Politico argues that it is because more and more women are speaking out. But this type of behavior is not new, as one lawmaker points out: “Misogyny, sexism and sexual harassment are so embedded in the culture” [du Parlement britannique] It’s hard to see how that could change.”