Mike Amesbury (Image: Getty)
Pressure is growing for all MPS and members of the House of Lords to undergo police checks to ensure they are not a danger to the public following claims of bullying and sexual harassment.
A House of Commons Committee is considering calls to make politicians subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks in a similar way to people who work with children or vulnerable adults.
This week MP Mike Amesbury admitted assault by beating, after a video emerged showing him punching a man to the ground in his Cheshire constituency.
And a shocking report revealed a widespread problem of bullying and harassment at Westminster, including unwanted touching and groping.
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The report’s author, Gemma White QC, warned: “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.”
Thousands of people work in Parliament and MPs were not necessarily to blame for the harassment but the report made it clear they are part of the problem, saying: “Most Members of Parliament treat their staff with dignity and respect but the problem of bullying and harassment is sufficiently widespread to require an urgent collective response.”
The findings were published in 2019 but there is concern that not enough has been done to deal with the problem.
A investigation also reported abuses of power by male MPs and senior staffers, and one woman said she was asked to sit on a male MP’s knee.
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Now the House of Commons Modernisation Committee is considering making every MP and Lords member subject to a check to see if police hold information about them, as part of an inquiry looking into ways of driving up standards and improving “culture and working practices” at Westminster.
A proposal was submitted by Labour MP Jo White, who has also sponsored a Commons motion stating “all Parliamentarians should be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check when they take their place in the House of Commons or House of Lords”, signed by 25 MPs.
She said: “That would make us all feel safer in the corridors of power, but more importantly, would give the institutions we visit – such as care homes and schools – much greater confidence in who they are letting through their doors.”
Labour member of the House of Lords John Mann said: “Parliament should take a lead and that every parliamentarian should be required to have a Disclosure and Barring Service check.”