Markus Andrews

The Conservative Party has become “very laddish” under Boris Johnson’s leadership, a former minister for women has said.Speaking in the wake of MP Neil Parish’s suspension from the party for watching porn in the Commons chamber, Anne Milton said she was “angry” that those at the top of the party had failed to lead by example by showing high standards of behaviour, including over the Partygate scandal.Ms Milton, who served in the governments of David Cameron and Theresa May, but was stripped of the Tory whip by Johnson for refusing to vote for a no-deal Brexit and lost her Guildford seat after 14 years standing as an independent in 2019, said women had been given a less prominent role under the current leader.Asked if there was a culture of sexism in the Tory Party, she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It’s over two years since I left politics and it feels like it’s got worse. It feels it’s very laddish.“You don’t see women being put up for the press conferences or doing the media round. There’s a lot of people running around with high-vis jackets and making allusions to rugby scrum.“So it feels very laddish.”Ms Milton, who was Tory deputy chief whip from 2015-17, made clear that she believes Mr Johnson’s example – including his fine for breaching Covid lockdown laws – had set the tone for his MPs’ behaviour .“I think what’s more important than anything else at the moment – and I actually feel quite angry about this – is everybody in leadership positions should demonstrate by example high standards of behavior,” she said.“You need to constantly remind people that you expect those standards of behavior at all times. It is really shocking and depressing what we’ve been hearing over the last few weeks.”Ms Milton said that the atmosphere in parliament “smells of boys”. Sexist attitudes were often displayed not in outright hostility towards women but by condescension and over-familiarity, she said.“I’ve experienced sexism a little bit, not that directly,” she said. “It is rather oblique.“You make a speech in the House of Commons, an arm goes around your shoulder from a man and he says ‘That was really very good’, in a rather patronizing way. There is there’s no doubt about it, the whole place smells of boys.” More

Labour has accused Conservative party whips of delaying action over the MP accused of watching pornography in parliament, saying it was “shameful” that it was three days before Neil Parish was suspended from the party and referred himself for investigation.The 65-year-old MP for Tiverton and Honiton is understood to have been identified to chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris by two female MPs on Tuesday, but his name was not revealed until Friday, when he submitted himself for an inquiry by Commons standards commissioner Kathryn Stone.Mr Parish has had the Tory whip suspended, but insisted he will not quit parliament while the inquiry takes place. He indicated that he will argue he opened the adult material in error, but added that he will stand down if found guilty.But he is coming under pressure from fellow-Tories to resign immediately, with Caroline Dinenage, who sits on the women and equalities committee, saying: “I cannot see how his position is sustainable. It is just utterly bizarre.” The committe’s chair Caroline Nokes, who was present at Tuesday’s meeting, said she was “disappointed” the whip was not removed immediately and blasted “unnecessary dither and delay” in taking action.“I fully expected to wake up on the Wednesday morning and find this a Member of Parliament had the whip suspended,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.“I was very disappointed when there wasn’t immediate action by the chief whip to do that. I think it was important, not least because a cloud was hanging over other colleagues’ heads because nobody knew the identity.“And to be frank, as a female parliamentarian, I wanted reassurance from the whips that they were going to take this seriously and act.”Labour frontbencher Bridget Phillipson said the delay in naming and suspending Parish was “shameful” and left thousands of parliamentary staff unable to feel safe at work.“What we’ve seen is absolutely shocking,” Ms Phillipson told Today. “And really, there can be no place for that in parliament or any workplace.“It shouldn’t have taken days for him to be referred to the process. That doesn’t necessarily involve him being named, but it was clear no action had been taken.“For some days Conservative whips knew exactly who he was. And at the same time, of course, people in the House of Commons – and that’s not just MPs, thousands of people work there – would be concerned about what that would mean.“This isn’t just a case about MPs. It’s a workplace for many people and they’ve got every right to feel safe when they are at work. That’s why it’s shameful it’s taken so long for action to happen.”The Conservative minister for safeguarding women, Rachel Maclean, said that Mr Heaton-Harris had taken the right action, adding that “there clearly needed to be some time to establish the veracity of what was said the facts of the case”. There would be no place for Mr Parish in the party “if this is substantiated and those allegations turn out to be true”, she said.Ms Maclean said it was a matter for Mr Parish whether he stayed on as an MP while the inquiry proceeds, but suggested that measures will be taken when he is dealing with female constituents.“I want to be clear he is not continuing his business as normal,” she told Times Radio. “He’s under investigation, and I’m confident that the appropriate measures will be put in place to safeguard any of his constituents, particularly women and girls.”Ms Maclean rejected the idea that the Conservative Party was “institutionally sexist”. She told Today: “I don’t agree with that characterization. I think there is clearly a problem in the House of Commons and I think it extends to all parties. My experience of my party is that my male colleagues have been supportive, friendly, respectful, professional, courteous.” More

A revolt by traditional Conservatives in true blue strongholds in council elections this week will rack up pressure on Boris Johnson to step aside as leader, party insiders believe.One MP told The Independent there would be “panic” if results were poor in Thursday’s local elections, which represent the first opportunity for voters to cast their verdict on Mr Johnson since the Partygate scandal.The elections come as a new poll for The Independent has found that more than a quarter (27 per cent) of voters who backed the Tories in the 2019 general election say they are less likely to do so again if Mr Johnson remains leader.The survey by pollsters Savanta showed Labour extending its lead over the Tories by two points compared with a similar poll last month, putting them at 40 per cent to the Conservatives’ 34. And it showed a sharp fall in Mr Johnson’s personal ratings since he became the first sitting prime minister to be fined for law-breaking, with a net favourability score of -28 (33 per cent saying he is doing a good job and 61 per cent bad) compared with -19 last month.Some 65 per cent – including 46 per cent of Tory voters – said he should resign if he receives more fines or is harshly criticised in senior civil servant Sue Gray’s report on Partygate, and 63 per cent said his apologies so far have been inadequate. Just 28 per cent believed his account that he was unaware that he was breaking the law when he took part in a Downing Street birthday party, with 63 per cent – including 52 per cent of Tory voters – saying he was lying.With Conservatives defending only around 1,200 of the 6,800 seats up for grabs across England, Scotland and Wales on Thursday, a loss of more than around 350 councillors would be seen as damaging, while losing more than 800 would be catastrophic for Mr Johnson.Labour is hoping for advances in the so-called red wall areas of the Midlands and the north that were lost to the Tories in the 2019 election, and in London boroughs such as Barnet and Wandsworth, though insiders concede that the party’s numerical advance will be limited by the fact that it did relatively well last time most of the seats were contested in 2018.But there is a growing focus on traditionally rock-solid Tory seats in leafy commuter belts, which restive MPs are increasingly concerned are being turned into marginals by voter distaste for the Johnson regime.One Tory MP told The Independent: “There’s no doubt that Partygate will take a toll, with our voters staying home or registering a protest vote; and speaking to colleagues, it is those in the home counties who are most gloomy about what is coming.“Their canvassing suggests they could be facing a big fall-off in support, while it seems to be holding up in councils with a bigger working-class population.”Conservative elections guru Robert Hayward agreed: “The Tories are facing their biggest problems in the home counties and in what one would describe as upper-middle-class, university-educated constituencies – the Surreys, the Hertfordshires and Hampshires.“They will be, next Thursday, in particular difficulty in those areas. And given that the overwhelming majority of the MPs in those areas are Tory, it is likely to worry those people quite markedly.”Conservative MPs in supposedly safe seats will be “unsettled” if they lose significant numbers of councillors on Thursday night, said Lord Hayward.“It will confirm all the worst fears in the parliamentary party, and add to the pressures on Boris Johnson,” he added.This may not immediately translate into more letters of no confidence being submitted to the 1922 Committee chair Sir Graham Brady, who must call a ballot on Mr Johnson’s leadership if such is demanded by 54 MPs. While many MPs previously said they were suspending judgement until the May elections, there is a sense in Westminster that, with police still handing out fines for infringements of lockdown laws, the moment of decision will be delayed until Ms Gray’s final report. More

Unofficial Westminster groups need significant reform to avert the “next great parliamentary scandal” of lobbyists buying access to MPs, a cross-party committee has warned.The committee also stressed there is a “real risk” of hostile foreign actors gaining ‘improper access and influence” through All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) — bodies that examine a wide variety of subjects.In a major report, MPs on the Commons Standards Committee noted there has been a dramatic increase in the number of APPGs, and while “vital” to parliamentary work, they risk “inappropriate influence and access”.MPs insist that “if left unchecked, APPGs could represent the next great parliamentary scandal, with commercial entities effectively buying access to and influence of parliamentarians and decision-makers.”There are 774 APPGs — an increase of 194 from 2015 — with subjects focusing on industry sectors, public policy, medical conditions, and specific countries, with the groups running inquiries, events, and organising visits.Unlike Commons Committees, they are not official parliamentary bodies, with the possibility of secretariats being provided by external bodies. Current rules dictate they must declare support of over £1,500 a year from a single source.While emphasising the importance of APPGs, the MPs said there are “few, if any” safeguards in place to ensure they are “genuinely member-led and are not simply used by external bodies as a way to amplify their own message”.“The danger is that an APPG could all too easily become a parliamentary front for an external commercial entity,” they said. “That would be wholly inappropriate.”In a section on the risk posed by hostile state actors, the report referenced the recent case of Christine Lee’s involvement with the Chinese in Britain APPG. Ms Lee was described in a January security alert issued by MI5 as being “knowingly engaged in political interference activities on behalf of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Chinese Community Party”.Alison Giles, the director of security for Parliament, told MPs during the inquiry that Ms Lee was “instrumental” in setting up the Chinese in Britain APPG, including funding and attending meetings.The MPs added in the report: “The expert evidence we have received to our inquiry shows that the risk of improper access and influence by hostile foreign actors through APPGs is real, though difficult to measure. There is also evidence that this risk has already materialised.”In order to reduce the risks posed by APPGs, the report recommends a reduction in the “sheer number” of groups, which “makes monitoring compliance with the rules more challenging”.The MPs also suggest transparency is enhanced of funding sources and provision of external staff on APPGs, including secretariats, and potentially banning them from being funded by foreign governments.The committee chair and Labour MP Chris Bryant said the report was a “wake-up call for us”, with “chilling” evidence gathered by MPs pointing towards an urgent need for reform of the system.“All Party Parliamentary Groups are really useful, but they must never be a backdoor means of peddling influence around the corridors of power or pursuing a commercial interest,” he stressed.“We have set out four ways to address the risks posed by APPGs, as well as a range of possible measures to regulate them, and ensure they continue to enhance – rather than endanger – the integrity of Parliament.”He added: “Parliament always has, and always will, be a target for hostile foreign states. But with better regulation and transparency around these informal groups, we can ensure they continue to make a positive contribution to democracy”. More

A series of “Westminster sleaze” allegations have again rocked the Houses of Parliament, casting fresh light on the sexism and sexual harassment female MPs and aides are all too commonly subjected to at the heart of government.Conservative MP Neil Parish has been suspended from his party after being accused of watching a pornographic video on his smartphone in the Commons in full view of colleagues, while a female Labour MP has complained of “vulgar sexual comments” made about her by a member of her own party.Those unsavoury episodes follow on from the “Pestminster” allegations made against 36 MPs in 2017, The Sunday Times’ recent report that 56 MPs, including three Cabinet ministers and two Shadow Cabinet members, are under investigation over claims of sexual misconduct and The Mail on Sunday’s controversial story about Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, carrying allegations from an unnamed Tory about her actions in the Commons.In the latest development, the Conservative Cabinet minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan revealed in an interview with LBC that she was once “pinned up against a wall by a male MP – who is no longer in the House I’m pleased to say – declaring I must want him because he was a powerful man.”Elaborating in another interview on Sky News, the international trade secretary said: “All of us as women in Parliament have been subjected to inappropriate language, to wandering hands… It doesn’t change.“There are a few for whom too much drink, or a view that somehow being elected makes them god’s gift to women, that they can suddenly please themselves.“It’s never OK anywhere. It’s not OK in Westminster either. If you’re a bloke – keep your hands in your pockets. Behave as you would if you had your daughter in the room.”Ms Trevelyan, 53, was born in London in 1969, attended school in Hammersmith and graduated from Oxford Brookes University.She first worked as a chartered accountant for PriceWaterhouseCooper, specialising in corporate finance, before relocating to Northumberland in 1996 to serve as governor of the Northumbria Healthcare Trust and of Berwick Academy.Watching porn in Commons ‘completely unacceptable’, says Tory ministerMs Trevelyan ran unsuccessfully to become a Conservative MP in the region in 1999, 2003 and 2010 before winning in Berwick-upon-Tweed in 2015, succeeding Sir Alan Beith.She was parliamentary under-secretary of state for defence procurement between July and December 2019, minister of state for the armed forces between December 2019 and February 2020, secretary of state for international development between February and September 2020 and minister of state for business, energy and clean growth between January and September 2021.Ms Trevelyan returned as secretary of state for international development last September and also serves as president of the Board of Trade.Known for her work in support of the British military and its veterans, she is also a Brexiteer and Eurosceptic, an opponent of fox hunting bans and in favour of fracking and once admitted to the BBC, with commendable honesty, that her own teenage son would have been unlikely to vote for her in the 2017 general election had been old enough to cast his ballot. More

Neil Parish has said he will stay on as an MP during an investigation into allegations of watching pornography on a phone in the House of Commons chamber.Mr Parish was stripped of the Conservative whip today after referring himself for investigation by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone, and there have been calls for him to resign as MP for Tiverton and Honiton in east Devon.But in a statement released on his website, the Commons Environment Committee chair was careful not to make any admission of guilt and made clear he hopes to continue with his work as an MP at least until the probe ends.Breaking his silence on the allegations, Mr Parish said: “Following recent allegations regarding an MP’s use of their mobile phone in Parliament, I have referred myself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards in the House of Commons.“I will be cooperating fully with any investigation, and whilst it is ongoing I will continue to perform my duties as MP for Tiverton and Honiton.“I will not be making further comments at this stage.”His brief remarks appeared to suggest he may dispute the claims of two female Tories that they saw him watching a pornographic video on his smartphone, referring only to “allegations regarding an MP’s use of their mobile phone in Parliament”.But they also opened the door for an eventual resignation if he is found guilty by the Commissioner and recommended for sanction – which could range from an apology to suspension from the House – by the Commons Standards Committee, as he referred only to remaining MP “whilst [the inquiry] is ongoing”.Speaking to reporters outside his Devon home, Mr Parish repeatedly declined to confirm suggestions that he plans to say in his defence that the offensive material had been sent to his phone by someone else and that he opened it in error, saying: “I will await the findings of the inquiry”.Asked if he recognised the offence caused to female colleagues, he said: “Of course I can understand why they are concerned and I can only apologise for the situation, but I will maintain my duties as MP.”A by-election in Mr Parish rural West Country constituency would hold little for Boris Johnson’s Conservatives to fear in normal circumstances, as he held the seat by around 24,000 votes in the 2019 general election, with Labour in second place and Liberal Democrats a distant third.However, Tory high command will be all too aware that the result very closely replicates that in North Shropshire – a 23,000 majority from 2019, with Labour second and Lib Dems far behind – which fell to Lib Dems on a sensational 37 per cent swing last December following the resignation of disgraced Owen Paterson after a financial scandal. More

A Labour MP has apologised after an altercation with a Conservative colleague over his calls for police to investigate an alleged breach of lockdown rules by party leader Sir Keir Starmer.North West Durham MP Richard Holden described Mary Hoy’s behaviour on the House of Commons terrace bar on Tuesday evening as “totally unacceptable” and alleged she may have been affected by drink, but said he accepted her apology.The City of Durham MP is reported to have been angered by Mr Holden’s unsuccessful attempt to persuade police to reopen an investigation into footage of the Labour leader taken at her constituency offices in April last year.In a statement today, Mr Holden said he had accepted a “wholehearted apology from Ms Foy”, who he said had “unprovoked … drunkenly approached, berated and grabbed me”.There was no immediate response from Ms Foy, but a Labour source said: “Mary and Richard were drinking together in a group, there was a bit of back and forth on politics generally.“Mary and Richard were in touch afterwards and she offered an apology in good faith, which Richard accepted.”The pictures were filmed through a window of Ms Foy’s offices in Durham at a time when Covid restrictions meant people were advised to work from home if possible and drinking in pubs was permitted only outdoors. Labour insists that Mr Starmer and his team were simply pausing for food and drink during an evening meeting.The party today confirmed that deputy leader Angela Rayner was also at the meeting, blaming “a genuine mistake” for previous claims that she was not present.Durham Police had previously decided against taking action over the event, but calls for an investigation were revived after the Metropolitan Police issued fines to Boris Johnson and Downing Street staff members over law-breaking parties in No 10. More

Neil Parish MP finds himself at the centre of a major Westminster scandal, suspended by the Conservatives while an investigation takes place into claims he watched pornography on his mobile phone in parliament.Following days of speculation about the identity of the man accused of viewing porn, it was announced on Friday that the Tory whip had been removed from Mr Parish, and that he had reported himself to the parliament’s sleaze watchdog.So who Mr Parish? The 65-year-old is the influential chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee which scrutinises vital issues such as Brexit trade deals and food supply.First elected in 2010, he represents the Devon constituency of Tiverton and Honiton, and won subsequent general elections in 2015, 2017 and 2019 by comfortable margins. He holds a huge majority of over 24,000.Mr Parish, who was formally a Tory MEP for the southwest region, supported the Remain campaign during the Brexit referendum of 2016.In November, the backbencher warned the government that the consequences of Brexit was “destroying” British agriculture, as he condemned ministers for failing to act on labour shortages.Mr Parish has expressed controversial views on same-sex marriage in the past. He opposed the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act passed under David Cameron’s coalition government in 2013, saying “this should be for the Church and Christians to decide”.A champion of animal welfare causes, Mr Parish’s Labrador won the Westminster Dog of the Year competition back in 2011.The Devon MP will now face intense scrutiny over allegations that he watched porn online, on his mobile phone, while sitting next to a female colleague in the Commons chamber.Some pointed out that Mr Parish recently expressed his “disappointment” that his Tiverton and Honiton constituency is one of the worst in England for superfast broadband connections.Hansard shows that Mr Parish has raised or debated the issue of broadband connection dozens of times in parliament.It has emerged that he was asked about claims of porn-watching earlier this week during an appearance on GB News. Mr Parish said he hoped there would be a “thorough investigation”.Asked if there was a cultural problem with sexism and misogyny in parliament, the MP said: “It’s a very intense area, and you are going to get people who step over the line.”The Conservative Party initially suggested that claims made against Mr Parish could be referred to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), the watchdog set up to examine bullying and sexual harassment allegations.But Mr Parish referred himself to the parliamentary commissioner for standards, Kathryn Stone, on Friday.It is unclear whether he could face two separate investigations. But it is thought the commissioner’s investigation could be into whether Mr Parish caused “significant damage to the reputation and integrity” of the Commons.He is also now facing a clamour of opposition calls to step down as MP. Senior Labour MP Harriet Harman said he should “resign immediately” if the allegations are true.Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper MP added: “If Boris Johnson had any shred of decency left, he would tell Neil Parish to resign immediately.”Defence secretary Ben Wallace pointed out this week that only constituents can get rid of a sitting MP. But he raised the prospect of a recall petition, if the MP in question was proved to have watched porn in the Commons.MPs can face a recall petition if they are suspended by the parliamentary authorities. If 10 per cent of eligible registered voters in a constituency signed the petition, a by-election is required. More