UK Politics

Conservative MP Neil Parish has had the whip suspended while he is being investigated for allegedly watching pornography in the Commons chamber.It comes after politicians from across the political spectrum reacted with outrage at the claims first made by two female Tory MPs during a meeting with the party’s chief whip on Tuesday evening.Mr Parish, a MP since 2010 and the chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, will now face a probe by the Standards Committee, the party’s chief whip said on Friday.An investigation by the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) — established in the wake of the Me Too scandal — was also launched after the allegations surfaced.After 48 hours of speculation over the identity of the MP, 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”More follows More

Sinn Féin is on course to be the largest party at Stormont and select Northern Ireland’s first minister for the very first time.The Irish nationalists hold a six-point lead over the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in the latest poll ahead of crucial 5 May election, with experts warning of a constitutional crisis on the way.DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he was “not bothered” by the shock poll and claimed to be confident his party would still win the Stormont election.But if the latest results are reflected in votes cast next week, it will make the nationalists the biggest players at Stormont – and would allow the party to nominate vice president Michelle O’Neill for first minister.Support for Sinn Féin is at 26 per cent with the DUP on 20 per cent, according to the latest the LucidTalk poll commissioned by the Belfast Telegraph.The DUP has previously threatened to withdraw from the Northern Ireland Executive if Boris Johnson’s action is not taken to ditch the Northern Ireland protocol.Downing Street is thought to be drawing up legislation for the 10 May Queen’s Speech aimed at unilaterally “tearing up” parts of the protocol it does not like – despite warnings by Brussels it would violate the treaty signed by Mr Johnson over two years ago.Tory peer and pollster Lord Hayward has warned of “serious constitutional implications” for the whole UK if power-sharing arrangements at Stormont collapse in the midst of the ongoing row with the EU.But Sir Jeffrey played down Sinn Fein’s poll lead on Friday. “I think the polls are not reflective of what I find on the doors … I’m not bothered by polls, and I think the political pundits who stake their reputation on the results of polls might get a surprise on May 5.”The DUP boss added: “Most unionists recognise the DUP is the only unionist party that can win, they don’t want to see Sinn Fein winning and taking forward their divisive border poll agenda.”Sinn Féin have played down DUP attempts to talk up a potential referendum on the unification of Ireland. But Ms O’Neill did say last week that Brexit had made many people question Northern Ireland’s place in the UK.The nationalist party’s Stormont leader said: “I think a lot of people are now considering the constitutional position because Brexit has pulled us out of the EU, stolen our EU citizenship from us.”It comes a former top civil servant has attacked Mr Johnson government’s handling of the ongoing Brexit protocol row with Brussels.Dr Andrew McCormick, who played a central role at Stormont as the government negotiated the Brexit deal with the EU, said that responsibility for the consequences lies “fairly and squarely” with Mr Johnson and his team.In an article for The Constitution Society, the ex-mandarin said: “There is little credibility in any argument that the UK government either did not anticipate the implications of what it had agreed, or was constrained and unable to choose any other option.”In other developments, Jacob Rees-Mogg has admitted that Brexit red tape had a damaging impact on food prices at the supermarket – as he defended his decision to scrap looming controls on imports from the EU.The Brexit opportunities told ITV that the controls “would have been an act of self-harm” and conceded that some price increases would have been “quite significant”. He added: “Free trade is hugely advantageous to consumers.”The latest Lucidtalk poll was carried out online on April 22-24 using its established online opinion panel, comprising of 13,816 members, which it states is balanced to be demographically representative of Northern Ireland. More

Cabinet minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said a male MP once pinned her against a wall and told her she “wants him”, as she revealed the scale of sexual harassment at Westminster.The international trade secretary said female MPs were still subjected to “wandering hands” and other forms of abuse, saying she had been touched inappropriately around half a dozen times.Asked what kind of harassment she had experienced, she told LBC she had been “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.”Ms Trevelyan said the incident happened “a number of years ago”. She suggested that a toxic mix of alcohol and arrogance still led some male MPs to hold onto “misogynistic” views and behaviour.“All of us as women in parliament have been subjected to inappropriate language, to wandering hands … it doesn’t change,” the Conservative minister told Sky News.“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,” said Ms Trevelyan.She added: “It’s never okay anywhere. It’s not okay 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 later shared on Twitter an email she received from a man who said she found her remarks about sexual harassment “annoying” and facetious”.He accused her of suggesting that all men who do not have their hands tucked away “can be suspected of being a sexual predator!” The minister said her remarks had brought out views which “misunderstand the realities”.It comes as the Tory party comes under increasing pressure to suspend an MP accused by two female colleagues of watching porn in the Commons.Labour and some senior Tories have demanded to know why the whip has not been withdrawn after he was reported to the Tory chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris during a meeting on Tuesday evening.It understood the chief whip’s office knows the identify of the accused MP. But the Tory party has only suggested that an independent complaints scheme take up the issue – admitting that only witnesses can trigger an inquiry by making a formal complaint.The Telegraph has reported that the Tory at the centre of the storm entered parliament before 2015. Government sources have indicated the man is a backbench MP.Caroline Nokes told The Independent that “in any other workplace” someone facing such an accusation would be suspended, while a second Tory MP said the party should “sack him now”.However, Ms Trevelyan refused to say whether the MP should be suspended – saying it was up to the witnesses to make a formal complaint to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS).“The grievance committee system is in place,” said the international trade secretary. “The ladies who saw this completely unacceptable behaviour have been encouraged to use the formal system. And I hope very much they will [use it], or indeed have, I don’t know.”On the claim a male colleague watched porn in the chamber, Ms Trevelyan added: “It’s just completely unacceptable. Why has he got the time? Why does he think that’s okay?”’Keep your hands in your pockets’, Tory minister tells male MPsBut cabinet minister Suella Braverman has said the MP should be suspended, and should no longer be an MP, if the porn-watching claim is substantiated. Mr Johnson’s attorney general said some men in parliament behaved like “animals”.Labour leader Keir Starmer has demanded to know why the Tory party is stalling when the accused MP’s identity is known to the whips’ office.“The Tory party knows who this individual is … I think that they should deal with it and deal with it sooner rather than later and take appropriate action,” he said on Thursday.Boris Johnson called the alleged behaviour “obviously unacceptable” – but insisted a referral to the ICGS was the correct action to take. More

Boris Johnson’s Partygate scandal is undermining efforts to teach “decency and honesty” in schools, a union boss has said in a blistering attack on the government.Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), will use a speech on Friday to accuse the prime minister of “misleading” the nation over Downing Street parties.The schools’ leader believes that “political failure” at the top of government had led to a breakdown in trust and made the job of teachers in setting standards of behaviour more difficult.“The first things [taught in school] are self-regulation, good behaviour, decency, honesty and integrity. Things that are hard to observe in the UK government right now,” Mr Whiteman will say.Attacking Mr Johnson personally, Mr Whiteman will say: “For the prime minister of the country to mislead us about it, repeatedly, is unforgivable, and clearly in breach of the standards of our democratic institutions.”The NAHT chief will add: “If we cannot trust our leaders to tell the truth about cake, how can we trust that we will be told the truth about war?“How can we trust that we will be told the truth about refugees, how can we trust that we will be told the truth about the economy, the progress of the pandemic … or the government’s ambitions for education?”Mr Whiteman believes Partygate “matters” to the teaching profession because “young people can see this playing out before their very eyes”.He added: “Schools’ efforts to make sure young people understand the basics of self-regulation, good behaviour, decency, honesty and integrity become so much more difficult against that backdrop.”Mr Johnson will face a parliamentary investigation after MPs agreed last week to probe claims he misled parliament about parties held during Covid lockdown curbs.MPs on the privileges committee will investigate whether he is in contempt of parliament with his repeated denials in the Commons that any rules had been broken.Mr Johnson has already been fined once by Metropolitan Police for attending his own birthday celebration in June 2020. He is thought to have been at up to six of the 12 possible rule-breaking events being considered by Scotland Yard.The NAHT leader with also use the teaching union’s annual conference on Friday to criticise the government’s record on welcoming refugees from Ukraine and elsewhere – rejecting the idea that ministers could police political issues in schools.“Like the rest of us, young people see on the television every day the appalling scenes from Ukraine. And before that, the difficult scenes from Afghanistan and the difficult scenes from Syria,” he will tell the conference.“They see refugees, desperate humans, arriving on our shores in rubber boats from France. And they also see the complete lack of compassion, the complete lack of humanity demonstrated by our government in the way we deal with these issues. Young people are not stupid.” More

Vet chiefs have slated the government’s decision to scrap new import checks on animals and animal products coming into the UK, warning it risks letting in diseases in that can devastate farms.Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has revealed that no further import controls on EU goods will be introduced this year – the fourth time that checks have been delayed.He said the government would instead develop a new regime of import controls, aiming to introduce them by the end of next year.But the British Veterinary Association, which represents more than 19,000 vets and vet students, warned that delaying checks could have serious implications for animal health and British agriculture, threatening to allow in diseases such as African swine fever.The viral disease, which is highly contagious and for which there is no vaccine, has devastated family-run pig farms in China, wider Asia and even parts of Europe.Outbreaks have also been detected in Italy, Germany, Greece and Ukraine. So far, the UK has stayed free of the disease, but the government has issued warnings for anyone travelling to affected countries. The World Organisation for Animal Health has described African swine fever as “a major crisis for the pork industry” that is having “detrimental impacts on biodiversity and the livelihoods of farmers”.Ministers say it would be wrong to impose new administrative requirements on businesses that may pass on associated costs to consumers.The change is expected to save importers at least £1bn a year, the government estimates.But James Russell, senior vice-president of the association, called for a government rethink.“This move flies in the face not only of common sense, but also of the government’s commitment to preserving high levels of animal and human health in the UK,” he said.“Diseases such as African swine fever have already had a catastrophic impact on agriculture and animal health in parts of Europe and elsewhere globally.“With the UK now being outside the EU’s integrated and highly responsive surveillance systems, we have repeatedly warned that delaying veterinary checks further could weaken vital lines of defence against future incursions.”Mr Russell added: “To remove the requirement for checks entirely appears deeply misguided; we urge the government to abandon these plans and close off the threat of causing significant damage to our food and farming industries.“If not, the government must urgently set out how it will safeguard animal health and welfare in the UK in the coming months.”The Cabinet Office said it could not comment on swine fever or the veterinary sector, but said: “The controls introduced in January 2021 on the highest risk imports of animals, animal products, plants and plant products will continue to apply alongside the customs controls which have already been introduced.” More

MPs have accused the government of “substandard” handling of the freedom of information system and called for an independent audit of in order to restore public trust.In a new report, members of the the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee said its own investigations had found evidence of “poor FoI administration” in the Cabinet Office.The MPs said this appeared “inconsistent with the spirit and principles” of the FoI Act – introduced in 2000 to allow members of the public to request information held by public bodies.They said ministers had dragged their feet over opening up a controversial “Clearing House” — a body which coordinates responses to certain requests across government — to scrutiny.The Cabinet Office has previously denied the clearing house was used to blacklist some information seekers, including some journalists.However, a tribunal ruling in April 2021 required the government to release information about its operations, citing a “profound lack of transparency” about what it does.The Cabinet Office has invited Sue Langley — a non-executive director at the Home Office — to lead an internal “review” of the Clearing House processes and to report back to ministers ahead of the July recess.Instead, the committee has warned that in order to “reassure” the public, the government must “expose itself to rigorous external third party scrutiny” and allow the Information Commissioner’s Office [ICO] to conduct and audit.The chair of the committee and Conservative MP William Wragg said: “Our freedom of information laws are a crucial part of our democracy, allowing citizens to hold government to account.“As FOI policy owner and coordinating department, the Cabinet Office should be championing transparency across government, but its substandard FOI handling and failure to provide basic information about the working of the coordinated body has had the opposite effect.”He added: “An internal review alone won’t be sufficient to restore trust. The government must go further and allow for an independent audit of its practices such as the one offered by the Information commissioner.“The Cabinet Office has dragged its feet for too long on this issue and must act now to remove suspicion around the Clearing House, improve compliance with FOI laws and regain public confidence”.A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office said: “This government remains fully committed to its transparency agenda, routinely disclosing information beyond its obligations under the FOI Act, and releasing more proactive publications than ever before.“We have appointed Sue Langley to lead the internal review into the Clearing House function and assess the operation and effectiveness of its cross-government work. We are reviewing PACAC’s report and will consider its recommendations in our internal review.” More

The shadow of “Westminster sleaze” again looms over the Houses of Parliament following the emergence of a fresh spate of lurid allegations about the behaviour of Britain’s elected representatives.An unnamed Conservative MP is reportedly facing suspension from his party after being accused of watching a pornographic video on his smartphone in the Commons in full view of colleagues.Meanwhile, a female Labour MP has claimed she was the made the subject of “vulgar sexual comments” by a member of her own party, casting further light on the casual sexism women in politics face every day following the furore caused by a Mail on Sunday story published over the weekend, in which another unnamed Tory MP made accusations of a sexual nature against Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner.The Sunday Times reported on the same day that 56 MPs, including three Cabinet ministers and two Shadow Cabinet members, were under investigation over claims of sexual misconduct and had been referred to Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme.Of course, this is hardly the first time in living memory that the conduct of Britain’s political leaders has been found wanting – here is an overview of some of the biggest scandals of the last 30 years.A surprising affairThe publication of Conservative MP Edwina Currie’s diaries in 2002 offered the eyebrow-raising revelation that she had had an affair with future Conservative prime minister Sir John Major between 1984 and 1988 when she was a backbencher and he the party’s whip and both were married.David Mellor, aggrieved having himself been forced to resign from Mr Major’s Cabinet in September 1992 over an extramarital affair of his own, observed wryly that history might have been very different if his former boss’s infidelity had become public knowledge while he was still in office.Cash-for-questionsThe phrase “Westminster sleaze” first gained national prominence as a result of the “cash-for-questions” affair in 1994, when Conservative MPs Neil Hamilton and Tim Smith were forced to resign from government jobs after then-Harrods owner Mohamed al-Fayed revealed he had given them money in brown paper envelopes to ask specific questions in the Commons.The scandal also led to the jailing of former defence minister Jonathan Aitken over secret meetings with Saudi representatives and prompted the creation of Lord Nolan’s “seven principles of public life”, which all public officials are now expected to adhere to – selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.‘A moment of madness’Welsh Labour leader Ron Davies, Tony Blair’s secretary of state for Wales, resigned in late October 1998 after he was mugged at knifepoint by a stranger he had met on Clapham Common, south London, having agreed to go for a meal with the man, losing his wallet, mobile phone and keys in the incident in an area then-notorious as a pickup spot.Mr Davies was married at the time but divorced the year after his fall from grace.“It was a moment of madness for which I have subsequently paid a very, very heavy price and I am deeply sorry,” he famously said. “I bitterly regret it.”New Labour resignationsMr Blair served as PM from 1997 to 2007 and was forced to sign off on the resignation of a number of Cabinet ministers for a variety of transgressions, notably his transport secretary Stephen Byers, who reluctantly stepped down in late May 2002 after it emerged that one of his special advisers, Jo Moore, had sent an email on the day of the 9/11 terror attacks on New York City that advised: “It’s now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury.”Peter Mandelson was meanwhile forced to step down twice, first over an undeclared home loan from a fellow minister and, secondly, for allegedly trying to help a donor to the Millennium Dome with a passport application. More