Yesterday (October 30th 2017) the MPs in Westminster were discussing the possibility of introducing an independent body to assess complaints of sexual harassment – it is important they say – for people working in Westminster to be able come forward without fear of being targeted. The sentiment is laudable indeed, and it is one with which I agree – the people working in Westminster should indeed be able to be protected from harassment, and should be able to come forward without fear of being victimised or of losing their job…  shouldn’t we all?!!  What makes those working in Westminster so special?

In order to address specifically the issue of the harassment of staff in Westminster, the Prime Minister wrote a letter to the Speaker of the House suggesting that a Commons-wide mediation service be put in place along with a contractually-binding grievance procedure for MPs and staff. The Speaker of the House was also asked to consider strengthening the Code of Conduct for MPs so that it includes a new rule that “a member must treat all those who work in parliament with dignity, courtesy and respect”.

Leaving aside the moment that MPs continue to regard themselves as different to everyone else, the existing Code of Conduct of MPs comprises as a duty that: “Members should act on all occasions in accordance with the public trust placed in them. They should always behave with probity and integrity…”  Now correct me if I am wrong, but I can’t see how anyone can possibly think that sexually harassing someone can be considered appropriate behaviour, especially by someone who is guided to “always behave with probity and integrity”.  How then, can adding a rule that “members should treat people with dignity, courtesy and respect” possibly strengthen a duty which already requires that the MPs behave with ‘probity’?

Just a minute…  shouldn’t they anyway be treating people with respect?!!!  Are we not all bound by the customs of society to treat others with respect and dignity?  Are MPs some sort of special breed of human than can treat others with disdain?

Many societies/ nations already have legislation that concerns the discrimination against and the harassment of its citizens, and these rules should be applied to everyone.  It is completely disingenuous for the representatives of the people to stand up and with great ceremony, publicly decry the harassment of which they themselves are guilty, or to which they have been a witness for so long.  The Prime Minister, who is seeking to deflect responsibility for this ‘culture’ has a duty to represent and protect all of the citizens of the United Kingdom – not just those that work in close proximity with the government.

When addressing the letter from the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the House said that the PM’s Sunday letter had “very candidly” admitted “the difficulties the Conservative party has had in introducing the sort of mandatory grievance scheme which some other parties have introduced in recent years”.  He went on to say that: “It does not require my intervention for the party to adopt an effective grievance scheme.”  Perhaps, but what he did not do was question the very idea that grievances against harassment should be handled on an organisation-by-organisation basis.  The question of how to treat people should not be down to individual political parties to determine!  Equality is not a half-measure – if people are to be considered equal then they all have to be considered equal.  My personal beliefs are that we should all be treated equally across the entire planet – yet even in the knowledge that the British government does not have it within its power to do this, it can at least set the example of ensuring that all in the United Kingdom are equal.  If therefore Theresa May considers that harassment of people working in Westminster is a problem, then surely the answer is to address the issue on a national level – rather than simply to sweep the question under the rug and pretend that harassment only occurs in political walks of life.

Harassment of this nature is understood to be found everywhere, and especially prevalently in situations where one person has ‘power’ over another.  As can be clearly seen in the current scandal sweeping the film industry.  When young actors and actresses are looking to start their careers, they are particularly vulnerable to those who are in a position to provide assistance in that endeavour.  This abuse seems to have become accepted culturally within that industry, where even those that are safe from such abuses do not speak out about the abuses – and so maintain the culture of abuse.  Under such conditions, what can be the point of allowing the people with the power, to then set their own rules for the use of that power?

People of all types are suffering harassment across the country and in all areas of life; recent polls have indicated that a third of female students in universities have suffered harassment and another cited half of women in work.  This problem is by no means limited to women, however the data for the harassment of women is more present than for other groups.

Discussing these recent revelations, one former Tory minister said: “The whole culture needs to change.”  Well yes, the whole culture around it all needs to change – and maybe the first step would be to stop treating certain people as special…  perhaps if we are to treat everyone equally, we should start by considering ourselves as equals.  That means you too…