Westminster sexual harassment scandal: List of 36 'sex pest' Conservative MPs leaked

Theresa May has been accused of ignoring claims of sexual harassment against her own MPs as it emerged 36 Conservatives have been named on a list detailing inappropriate behaviour.

A spreadsheet, compiled by Westminster researchers, names Tory MPs — including cabinet ministers — accused of making unwanted sexual advances or behaving inappropriately with staff and colleagues.

On Sunday, it was revealed the Prime Minister gets weekly updates about the sexual indiscretions of her MPs — but still allowed ministers accused of wrongdoing to serve in her cabinet.

According to The Times, the list includes a veteran Tory backbencher who is described as being “perpetually intoxicated and very inappropriate with women”.

Also listed is a current cabinet minister who is accused of being “handsy at parties”. Another minister is said to have been nicknamed “Cop-a-feel”.

Serving cabinet members

The Guido Fawkes blog reports that the list includes two serving Cabinet ministers accused of inappropriate behaviour towards women.

Eighteen serving ministers are accused of various forms of inappropriate sexual behaviour, while 12 MPs are said to have behaved inappropriately towards female researchers.

Four MPs are alleged to have behaved inappropriately towards male researchers

The list, which was leaked to a newspaper, includes the trade minister Mark Garnier, who admitted asking a former assistant to buy sex toys and calling her “sugar tits”.

Also listed is the former work and pensions secretary Stephen Crabb, who has apologised for “sexual chatter” with a 19-year-old who had applied for a job in his office.

Last year, Crabb left his cabinet role after it was revealed he had sent explicit messages to a woman during the EU referendum campaign.

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Labour

Although the list is made up exclusively of Conservative MPs, at least four Labour MPs have been accused of harassing young women.

This includes two who have served in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, according to The Times.

Labour MPs believe more allegations against politicians on their side of the house will come to light.

“We’re not going to be immune from it,” said Lucy Powell, the MP for Manchester Central. “It’s the attitudes and the power inequalities, whether it’s Hollywood, the BBC or Westminster.

“When you have that mix of lots of desperate people in that environment, this sort of power abuse — because that’s what it is, it’s about a power inequality — can thrive.”

She said that Mrs May was “too weak” to tackle the problem. She said that in Mr Garnier’s case “referring something off to the ministerial code is just not sufficient”.

New measures

“I do not believe this situation can be tolerated any longer,” May has said in a letter to the speaker John Bercow.

She has called on him establish an independent mediation service for staff wanting to raise concerns about MPs’ behaviour.

The Conservative MP Anna Soubry told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the new measures must “protect all workers at the Palace of Westminster,”

“At the moment it looks like it’s only going to deal with those situations where a member of a team wants to make an allegation against a member of parliament – it must encompass any workers raising a grievance against anyone else.”