By Tony O'Riley-
Allegations of bullying and sexual harassment by Mps was one of the reasons recommendations for changes to Parliamentary codes of conduct made by the former Parliamentary Commissioner, Katherine Hudson were taken up for over two and a half years.
Former Commissioner, Kathryne Hudson, made recommendations for alterations to the flawed parliamentary codes of conduct, which has been used to free misbehaving Mps from rulings of wrongdoings. Representatives of the Parliamentary Committee told The Eye Of Media.Com that parliament had been entangled in so many cases surrounding allegations of sexual harassment shortly after it was dissolved in 2017 .
This meant that the opportunity to closely examine recommendations made by the Hudson, who had been severely criticised for unsatisfactory, rulings had not yet been fully considered.
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A spokesperson for the Parliamentary Committee confirmed a consultation for improved changes to the code will soon be made, and The Eye Of Media.Com has volunteered to make some recommendations for those changes. Apart from the dissolution of Parliament which occurred shortly after those recommendations, there has been so much going on in Parliament since those recommendations were made, including the issue of allegations of bullying and harassment by Mps.
What appears to have amounted to sexual harassment of two women led to the investigation of MP Griffiths who voluntarily gave up his post after being exposed for sending excessive amounts of sexually explicit texts messages to the women. Quite conveniently, very little of the actual text details have been made public, leaving the possibility of really sordid language that could ring alarm bells as to how he was cleared of wrongdoing for acts so reproachable.
FRAMEWORK
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The parliamentary Committee has been engrossed in the establishment of a tight framework to address its deplorable culture of sexual bullying and harassment, which in November 2017, led to the establishment of a cross-party Working Group on an Independent Complaints and Grievance Policy.
The Working Group recommended the development of a parliament-wide behaviour code and independent complaints and grievance schemes to respond to, and manage those complaints. At the end of February 2018, the House of Commons agreed to the Working Group’s recommendations and asked the House of Commons Commission to authorise their undertaking and implementation.
The House also agreed for the Working Group to reconvene as a Steering Group and that the officials working on the Independent Complaints and Grievance Policy should report to the Steering Group.
Up until this point, complaint about the behaviour of an MP or fellow staff member had to be made directly to the MP concerned or the relevant political party, and very few complainants were comfortable to do so.
MECHANISM
MP staff for the first time have recently been provided with a mechanism for having complaints of bullying and harassment independently investigated. However, complainants of harassment said the new procedures provided little safeguards concern about using the new procedures. They were also doubtful as to what the ICGS can realistically achieve. Many are said to have voiced concerns about making a complaint under the new ICGS procedure, because it would be “career suicide”.
LOYALTIES
Parliamentary insiders said others cited personal and party-political loyalties which would naturally obstruct the process of complaining. Contributors to the inquiry suggested a complete removal of employment from MPs entirely, with their offices being staffed by people employed by a separate body, such as IPSA or the House of Commons Commission that would obstruct the process of complaining, especially with many unsure of the independence of the ICGS. remains important.
What is perhaps most concerning is that of the Dame Laura Cox made three key recommendations in her inquiry report, none of which have been implemented, despite by approved by The House Of Commons. Two of them related to necessary changes to the ICGS. The demands and ongoing dispute surrounding Brexit has taken up so much time and attention, but those recommendations have not been abandoned.
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