Charlotte Nichols said Westminster has a “deeply rotten culture” of sexual harassment and no effective assault reporting system.
A Labour member of parliament has asserted that a colleague who was reported to the police for alleged sexual assault remains on the opposition frontbench because the party “has decided not to act.”
Charlotte Nichols, who represents Warrington North, did not identify the individual. But she stated that she has questioned Labour officials about the allegations and that “their response has been wholly inadequate.”
Ms. Nichols disclosed that within her first week of being elected to parliament in 2019, she was given a “verbal list” of approximately 30 MPs whose inappropriate behavior she should “avoid.”
She said Westminster has a “deeply rotten culture” of sexual harassment and “none of the systems in place are effective.”
Ms. Nichols provided the following illustration: “One of our colleagues who has been reported to police for assault and who still have the party whip is still on the front bench, but the party has chosen not to act.”
Ms. Nichols also stated, “I am aware of cases in which individuals who have been sexually assaulted have been told by the ICGS (parliament’s independent complaints and grievance scheme) that they cannot take action because the assault did not occur on the parliamentary estate.
“They then went to the party, who took seven months to inform them that they wouldn’t be investigating it, leaving them with the option of going to the police… in a context where the conviction rate is only 1.6%.”
Tortoise Media reported last month that a female Labour MP claimed she was sexually assaulted by a male shadow minister in London in July 2021, purportedly after a summer party.
At the time, Labour stated that neither the police nor a formal complaint had contacted them.
Ms. Nichols said she directly shared the police complaint with the party leadership and that “nothing prevents them from acting.”
‘Rotten culture in Westminster’
Ms. Nichols said she felt compelled to speak out since “bad apples” are routinely blamed for Westminster sleaze scandals. But the problem is much deeper than that, and the systems in place to combat it are ineffective.
She stated, “I received a list of 30 MPs within a week of entering parliament. With whom I was warned to avoid being alone, never accept a drink from, and never accept transport from.
“Individuals must protect themselves due to their widespread poor behaviour and lack of action.”
The backbencher stated, “There is a fundamentally corrupt culture in Westminster. And it is baked into every level of the institution’s operation.”
It is incumbent upon all of us to stop discussing bad apples and instead discuss the causes of rot.
The remarks were made after veteran Labour MP Geraint Davies was suspended from the party pending an investigation into “extremely serious allegations of completely unacceptable behavior,” which he denied.
It has brought the issue of Westminster corruption back into the limelight, with MPs due to vote later this month on banning members from parliament if they are under investigation for sexual or violent crimes.
Labour will review its internal complaints mechanism after reports that Mr. Davies’ conduct was a “open secret.”
Labour was “forced to act” regarding Geraint Davies.
Ms. Nichols said her party was “shamed” into suspending the 63-year-old politician after Politico published claims on Thursday.
The party has stated that it cannot act without formal complaints. Ms. Nichols noted that none were filed when Mr. Davies’ command was halted after the story surfaced.
She called her party “damage limitation” and said, “None of these things will change unless MPs push for this change.”
A spokesperson for the Labour Party stated, “We strongly urge anyone with a complaint to come forward. So that allegations can be promptly and thoroughly investigated and appropriate action taken.”
“To give complainants confidence and discretion during the disciplinary procedure, the party has provided a variety of support.”
