Calls are increasing for action to tackle what is described as an institutionally sexist atmosphere in parliament, one in which harassment – against both women and men – is alleged to have become endemic. So far, however, there has been little in the way of specific ideas. Here are a few possibilities: Change the system for employing MPs’ staff Currently, the staff who work directly for MPs are also employed directly by them. The MPs claim expenses and effectively operate as the manager of a small business. While MPs say this gives them control over a complex area of their work, it can greatly complicate staff raising concerns about their own MP, despite the advent of an independent system for complaints. The Commons Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, has proposed setting up a “Speaker’s conference” to look into the idea of changing the system so that staff are formally employed by a central body, giving them standardised terms and conditions, and making complaints easier. Closing the bars A number of allegations appear to centre around drunken behaviour in bars on the Westminster estate, notably the Strangers’ Bar, a compact and often tightly packed venue where drinkers spill out on to the Thames-side terrace in warmer weather. Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, rejected the idea of bar closures, calling it “excessively puritanical”, a view likely to be shared by many MPs working long hours away from their families. The fact that parliament has several bars and restaurants is often seen as a sign of its cosseted decadence, although the picture is a bit more complex, not least as the estate is campus-sized and tightly guarded, which can make outside excursions lengthy. As well being a workplace, it is also the base for many functions involving outside guests.
All-women shortlists These were pioneered by Labour before its 1997 election victory, doubling the proportion of female MPs overnight from 9% to 18%, with 101 of them from Labour. The proportion is now a third, with more than half of Labour and Lib Dem MPs being women. While the argument is that more women in the Commons will necessarily dilute any institutional sexism, the Conservatives – over three-quarters of whose MPs are male – have no plans to use any targets or similar measures to change this. Changes to the complaints system The independent complaints and grievance scheme (ICGS), set up in 2018 after an earlier series of complaints about harassment and abuse, has largely been seen as a success, and offers an anonymous helpline that can trigger investigations. The ICGS has said there were 15 cases started against MPs between July 2020 and June 2021, adding: “We are seeing a similar trend in disclosure so far this year.” However, a review into the scheme after 18 months of its existence raised concerns about equal access for diverse groups and processes that had become “over complex”.
A new culture at the top This was the charge made by Keir Starmer: that Downing Street has got into the habit of either dismissing claims made against Conservative MPs or seeking to delay any action with lengthy inquiries. “A fish rots from the head,” the Labour leader said on Sunday. Others have argued that Boris Johnson and dozens of other No 10 staff and civil servants being fined for breaking lockdown rules and taking part in reportedly drunken parties hardly sets the best example to others.