A survey of 1,377 parliamentary workers found that nearly one in five said they had experienced or witnessed sexual harassment, abuse or inappropriate behaviour within the last year. Of these complainants, twice as many were female than male.
Leader of the Commons, Andrea Leadsom, chaired the report, which was by a cross-party working group. As a result of the findings, Leadsom recommends the establishment of a binding Parliament-wide Behaviour Code and an independent complaints procedure. She believes that this procedure, together with confidential helplines, will help to report abuse.
Former Tory activist Kate Maltby, who made headlines after claiming that Damian Green touched her knee, describes the report as a “step in the right direction”. Her claims led to an inquiry resulting in Green’s removal as deputy prime minister. However, she voiced concern about the report’s proposals to grant anonymity to the subjects of sexual harassment complaints.
“What we know in all of these cases is it is almost always the case that someone accused, plausibly, of sexual harassment is a serial offender, and that when one woman makes a complaint, others are finally emboldened to do so,” Ms Maltby told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
MPs, peers and staff will now have compulsory training sessions in understanding and preventing harassment.
Under this new system, complaints against MPs, peers or members of staff will lead to a confidential inquiry. If those accused are found to have behaved inappropriately, they will be met with a tougher range of sanctions.
The survey found that only 25% of those who experienced inappropriate behaviour in the past year spoke to their MP or line manager.
However, only half of staff had confidence in the system for managing complaints of this kind.
But Andrea Leadsom believes that the new procedures “demonstrate that we want to be the best parliament in the world when it comes to treating everyone who works here with dignity and respect”.
She described it as “a major step in bringing about the culture change that Parliament needs”.
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HeadlinePoliticians face potential expulsion from Parliament after abuses comes to light
Short HeadlinePoliticians could be expelled from Parliament in abuse crackdown
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A survey of 1,377 parliamentary workers found that nearly one in five said they had experienced or witnessed sexual harassment, abuse or inappropriate behaviour within the last year. Of these complainants, twice as many were female than male.
Leader of the Commons, Andrea Leadsom, chaired the report, which was by a cross-party working group. As a result of the findings, Leadsom recommends the establishment of a binding Parliament-wide Behaviour Code and an independent complaints procedure. She believes that this procedure, together with confidential helplines, will help to report abuse.
Former Tory activist Kate Maltby, who made headlines after claiming that Damian Green touched her knee, describes the report as a “step in the right direction”. Her claims led to an inquiry resulting in Green’s removal as deputy prime minister. However, she voiced concern about the report’s proposals to grant anonymity to the subjects of sexual harassment complaints.
“What we know in all of these cases is it is almost always the case that someone accused, plausibly, of sexual harassment is a serial offender, and that when one woman makes a complaint, others are finally emboldened to do so,” Ms Maltby told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
MPs, peers and staff will now have compulsory training sessions in understanding and preventing harassment.
Under this new system, complaints against MPs, peers or members of staff will lead to a confidential inquiry. If those accused are found to have behaved inappropriately, they will be met with a tougher range of sanctions.
The survey found that only 25% of those who experienced inappropriate behaviour in the past year spoke to their MP or line manager.
However, only half of staff had confidence in the system for managing complaints of this kind.
But Andrea Leadsom believes that the new procedures “demonstrate that we want to be the best parliament in the world when it comes to treating everyone who works here with dignity and respect”.
She described it as “a major step in bringing about the culture change that Parliament needs”.
A 2024 Freedom of Information request showed Bromley Council had £4.5 million invested in arms companies that year with £1.5 million reportedly linked to Israel.
Undercover officers raided three linked shops in Barking town centre, revealing how illicit tobacco is being hidden in walls, ceilings and nearby locations to evade detection.
More than 330,000 people across the UK sought support from the Stop It Now helpline in 2025 over concerns about their own or someone else’s online sexual behaviour towards children, according to new charity data. The anonymous service says contacts by phone, email and webchat rose significantly over the year.
