Political parties are moving to transfer responsibility for investigating allegations of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct by MPs to parliamentary independent investigators.
A parliamentary committee is preparing to approve a proposal to refer complaints about misconduct by MPs to the Independent Complaints and Grievance System (ICGS), rather than having them dealt with by political parties.
Sources at the Modernization Commission, which is considering reforming parliamentary procedures and standards, told the Guardian they supported the changes. Unlike elected committees, members of the modernization committee are appointed by the party whip.
Under the proposal, political parties would refer complaints of bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct against MPs to ICGS, which was established in 2019 after Westminster was rocked by the #MeToo movement.
Supporters hope it will standardize the complaints system and boost trust after a spate of scandals involving both Labor and Conservative MPs over the past few years.
ICGS deals with incidents of suspected bullying, harassment, or sexual misconduct on parliamentary grounds, in constituency offices, or during parliamentary activities.
House of Representatives leader Lucy Powell, who chairs the committee, expressed support for the proposal in a speech at the Institute of Government last May. In a memorandum released by the committee in September, Powell said one of the committee’s priorities is to “ensure that members of Congress and all those accessing Congress feel safe and supported. The goal should be to bring together all relevant actors, including the
“Paul Carnaghan’s recommendation that complaints against political parties be included within the scope of the ICGS is an important example of how this integration can be achieved,” she wrote.
In his review of the ICGS this spring, Mr Carnahan concluded that the internal party grievance system was “redundant and undesirable” when it came to misconduct by MPs. “Most consultees have a significant lack of confidence in whether the party’s disciplinary process can deliver effective results, particularly timely and appropriate results,” he said.
He recommended that “individuals wishing to lodge a complaint against a political party and whose complaint falls within the purview of the ICGS should be referred to the ICGS”.
He added that in the event of a complaint that falls within the scope of the ICGS, the heads of each party should jointly agree with the ICGS chief and publicly announce what action they will take.
A House of Commons spokesperson said she could not provide immediate comment on the Modernization Committee’s work.
The committee, which closed its call for evidence on December 17, received hundreds of recommendations for reform across a wide range of areas, including rules around MPs’ working hours and second jobs. This evidence is expected to be made public in mid-January.
The GMB union’s parliamentary staff branch is calling for the introduction of a centralized personnel system so that MPs are no longer directly employed by MPs.
Branch Manager Jenny Simmons said of the plan to give ICGS even greater reach: Whether the incident occurred in Parliament, a constituency office, or a social gathering, victims need a way to report it, and perpetrators must be held accountable. Abuse of power is endemic in our working communities and is not confined to the walls of Westminster. ”
“At the GMB union, we will continue to press for the strongest rights and maximum protection for staff working for MPs, including campaigning for changes to the employment structure. In the meantime, we will continue to demand the strongest rights and maximum protection for staff working for MPs. It is essential to strengthen and expand processes such as ICGS to deliver
