UK Politics

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

A clip of the Tory MP allegedly caught watching porn in the Commons chamber has resurfaced in which he discussed the issue just two days before being suspended over the incident.Speaking to GB News on Wednesday, Neil Parish MP denied there were problems with the parliamentary culture, arguing that in a “very intense area, you are going to get people that step over the line”. Today, the MP for Tiverton and Honiton was suspended pending the results of an investigation by the Standards Committee, the Conservative chief whip said.Asked if he thought the MP accused of watching porn in the Commons chamber should have the whip removed if found guilty, Mr Parish told GB News on Wednesday: “I think the whips office will do a through investigation and we will wait and see that result.“I think, from that, the decision will have to be made [as to] what action will be taken.”Asked if he thought there was a problem with the culture in parliament, the chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee said: “I think if you have got 650 members of parliament in what is a very intense area, you are going to get people that step over the line. “I don’t necessarily think there is a huge culture here, but I think it does have to be dealt with and dealt with seriously.“I think that’s what the whips will do in our whips’ office.”It comes after a torrent of cross-party outrage at the claims first made by two female Tory MPs during a meeting with the party’s chief whip on Tuesday evening.After 48 hours of speculation over the identity of the politician, a spokesperson for the chief whip said: “Having spoken to the chief whip this afternoon, Neil Parish MP is reporting himself to the Standards Committee of the House of Commons.“Mr Parish has been suspended from the Conservative party whip pending the outcome of that investigation”The accuations against Mr Parish follow reports that 56 MPs, including three Cabinet ministers, are facing allegations of sexual misconduct that have been referred to the ICGS.They also come in the wake of The Mail On Sunday ‘s “sexist” and disputed publishing of claims from unnamed Tory MPs that deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner tried to distract Boris Johnson with her legs during PMQs.Attorney General Suella Braverman has described a minority of men in Parliament behaving like “animals” and said the porn-watching MP should be expelled if found guilty.The prime minster has described the alleged adult film watching as “clearly totally unacceptable”. More

Women’s charities have warned that parliament’s working culture is “in the gutter” and rife with misogyny after a Cabinet minister revealed how she was “pinned up against a wall” by a male MP.Groups including Women’s Aid and Refuge on Friday told The Independent swift action was needed and that politicians should be setting an example.Anne-Marie Trevelyan’s account comes at the end of a week in which it was disclosed that 56 MPs including three cabinet ministers are facing sexual misconduct allegations. This week Tory whips also launched an investigation into claims that a Conservative MP watched pornography in the Commons chamber – while the weekend was dominated by outrage over a sexist news article about Labour’s deputy leader.Ruth Davison, CEO of charity Refuge told The Independent that the last seven days had been “a difficult week for women”. “From the misogynistic tropes faced by Angela Rayner, to accusations of a male MP brazenly watching porn in the House of Commons Chamber, and now these appalling revelations from Anne-Marie Trevelyan about sexual harassment and abuse she has suffered by sitting MPs,” she said.”Our lawmakers are supposed to make society safer for women, but instead Westminster culture is in the gutter. It has to end now.”If the Government doesn’t take swift action on misogyny within its own ranks, how can we trust them to tackle violence against women and girls?”International Trade Secretary Ms Trevelyan on Friday told LBC Radio that she had “witnessed and been at the sharp end of misogyny from some colleagues many times over”.She said these episodes included “wandering hands” or “probably half a dozen” occasions, and “being pinned up against a wall by a male MPs” – who she said was no longer a member of parliament. In another interview with Sky News she told her male colleagues: “Keep your hands in your pockets and behave as you would if you had your daughter in the room” Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition said the government’s claim that tackling violence against women is a top priority “lacks credibility” given the accounts coming out of Westminster. “This week we’ve heard that 56 MPs including 3 cabinet ministers are facing sexual misconduct allegations; a male MP has been caught watching porn in the Commons; a female MP has shared her experience of groping and assault; and we’ve seen appallingly misogynistic reporting about another female MP,” she said.”The example set by Parliament matters because MPs and those around them determine broader policy on women’s equality as well as the criminal justice and public services response to violence against women and girls.”MPs and their staff have the right to be free from sexual harassment and abuse at work. These cases must be taken seriously by the independent complaints body, but there is also the need for Party leaders to robustly tackle institutional cultures which normalise and tolerate the harassment of women.”Isabelle Younane, head of campaigns, policy and public affairs at Women’s Aid meanwhile said it was “imperative” for those in parliament to “lead by example”. “Misogyny and a culture of everyday sexism are the root causes of all forms of violence against women– whether it is taking place at home, on the street, or in the workplace,” she said.”Everyday sexism creates a culture where it is ok for men to control, demean, objectify, and harass women. This must change. The government’s Tackling VAWG Strategy sets out some key commitments on this, and it is imperative that those in positions of power lead by example.“To build a world where violence against women is no longer tolerated, we must challenge sexist gender stereotypes, end everyday misogyny, and unpick the power imbalances which are so deeply ingrained in our society.”The allegation that a Conservative MP watched pornography in the Commons was made at a meeting on Tuesday night. On Friday it was revealed that Neil Parish, the chair of the environment select committee, is the parliamentarian under investigation.“Mr Parish has been suspended from the Conservative whip pending the outcome of that investigation,” a spokesperson for the government chief whip said. Mr Parish said in his own statement “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.” More