MPs could be handed ‘Commons Asbos’ to keep them away from harassment victims in crackdown on ‘Pestminster’
The potential punishment for low-level offences is part of a package of measures put together by Commons leader Andrea Leadsom in response to the scandals in Parliament last year
PERVY MPs could be handed “Commons Asbos” to keep them away from harassment victims in crackdown in the wake of the “Pestminster” scandal.
The potential punishment for low-level offences is part of a package of measures put together by House of Commons leader Andrea Leadsom.
The Cabinet minister has pledged to clean up Parliament after the #MeToo campaign spread to politics, and saw numerous reports of inappropriate sexual behaviour and harassment.
It led to the resignation of two Cabinet ministers and saw several MPs suspended pending internal investigations.
In response a new code of conduct, as well as new censures, have been suggested - along with better ways for people to report such offences.
As part of a new complaints procedure one punishment s that can be applied to MPs would work in a similar way to restraining orders.
It would force them to stay a certain distance from the complainant on the Parliamentary estate, including common areas like bars, and has been dubbed a “Commons Asbo”.
For more serious offences an MP could be recalled and his or her constituents could force a by-election.
But Tory backbencher Andrew Bridgen told the , who revealed the asbo plan, said: “It does not seem very practical. I think it would make it impossible for MPs to do their jobs.”
The plans were revealed after it was revealed Parliament has spent £2.4million to gag staff from speaking out about misconduct claims in the last five years.
John Bercow was left under more pressure after the bombshell figures were published this week.
They showed that taxpayers footed the bill for 53 “gagging clauses” - an average of £45,500 each.
And they raised fresh questions over Parliament’s bullying culture that erupted around Mr Bercow after two of his ex-aides accused him of physically intimidating them.
Ms Leadsom said she found the cost of the non-disclosure agreements “surprising” and exposed the need for new complaints procedure to root out Parliament’s bullies.