- MP Peter Bone faces misconduct claims.
- Victim describes alleged abuse.
- Conservative Party investigation underway.
A former member of parliamentary staff stated that the MP for whom he worked subjected him to “physical, emotional, and psychological abuse” that left him “a shattered shell of the young man I once was.”
Peter Bone’s membership in the Conservative Party was suspended following an inquiry which revealed his involvement in bullying and engaging in sexually inappropriate behaviour towards the target.
According to the former assistant of the member of parliament, the incident prompted a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.
On the contrary, Mr. Bone has refuted the accusations.
The former employee said he was in “limbo” after the Conservative Party ignored a four-year-old complaint.
A separate investigation conducted earlier this month by the Independent Expert Panel (IEP), the behavior watchdog of Parliament, determined that the Member of Parliament for Wellingborough violated sexual misconduct regulations by indecently exposing himself to the staff member while on an overseas excursion.
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In addition, five allegations of bullying were upheld, which included physical assault, verbal denigration, and object hurling.
On the grounds that the investigation was defective, Mr. Bone filed an appeal against the findings. His appeal, however, was denied.
The oversight body suggested that Mr. Bone be removed from the House of Commons for a period of six weeks.
Following the Conservative Party’s withdrawal of the whip, Mr. Bone is presently an independent Member of Parliament.
Members of parliament are scheduled to deliberate on the suspension later.
This, if approved, could result in a recall petition and a by-election in the Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, constituency of Mr. Bone.
If a petition is signed by 10% of the electors in the constituency, a by-election is required to occur.
“A gruesome experience”
“Peter exhibited erratic behaviour. He stated, “His temper was frequently explosive.”
“Like a pendulum, he would oscillate between various types of personalities.” Predictability was exceedingly low, which left me feeling somewhat besieged.
They refer to it as a “siege mentality” because of the ceaseless yelling, shrieking, and hitting.
“Both my mind and my body were perpetually on edge,” he continued. I was deeply touched by that occurrence, and its effects lasted for a long time.
The former employee stated that the “terrifying, violent, and sombre incident” that occurred over a decade ago “devastated me to the very core of the youthful individual I once was.”
“Dismissive” reply
The individual lodged a formal complaint with the Conservative Party in September 2017.
A tribunal found a “potential breach” of party guidelines and ordered an additional hearing after a year of inquiry.
However, the former staff member did not receive a response from the party for another three years. During that time, he claims to have “continuously pursued” but received a “dismissive” response.
“I was never given a clear timeline of events or even an estimated one,” according to him. “I was left in this kind of limbo.”
He lost faith in the procedure because the party seemed unimportant, according to the former employee.
“I was effectively ghosted for three years by the party,” according to him.
He filed a formal complaint with the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) of Parliament, which was established in 2018 to address MP misconduct, after nearly three years of waiting.
The party investigation appeared to have been reignited only after the ICGS initiated contact with the Conservatives. The former staff member confirmed in March 2022 that he still intended to proceed.
The former staff member, however, deemed Boris Johnson’s July 2022 promotion of Mr Bone to deputy leader of the House of Commons “deeply disrespectful” in light of the investigation that was still ongoing.
It transpired the day following Mr. Johnson’s resignation as Conservative Party leader, although he continued to serve as prime minister for an additional two months while the party selected his successor.
Concerns were raised regarding his response to allegations concerning Chris Pincher, another Conservative MP who was also the subject of a complaint regarding his conduct during his promotion. As a result, he tendered his resignation.
The former employee described himself as “shocked” but not astonished by the action.
It’s politics, it’s a lack of care or empathy,” he continued.
“Peter was an ardent Boris Johnson supporter… It was, in my opinion, entirely self-serving. “It seems unlikely that they gave me any thought.”
The Conservative Party had organised an oral hearing by August 2022. However, the complainant was informed that the proceeding would be “adversarial” and that Mr. Bone would cross-examine him; he declined to participate.
His decision to withdraw from the process facilitated the ICGS’s subsequent investigation.
He stated that under no circumstances should a victim or person alleging abuse be required to remain before or be questioned by an individual who has sexually harassed them, much less physically or emotionally harassed them.
“Just the idea of it was unbearable.”
The case was investigated in accordance with the party’s previous code of conduct and complaints procedure, according to a Conservative spokesperson; “however, the complainant withdrew from the process prior to the case being heard.”
“Under the current process, the complainant’s case would have been referred to the ICGS as it is a workplace matter, not a party matter,” according to them.
They said the process was adversarial by default but could be changed by the panel chief.
They said the plaintiff withdrew before the chair could reach this determination.
Due to the 2019 general election, the Covid pandemic, and decreased resources allocated to complaints, disciplinary processes were delayed during the relevant time period, according to the spokesperson.
Nevertheless, they reported that since then, additional resources had been allocated to the complaints team and procedures had been reevaluated.
A “relieved”
Mr. Bone stated the allegations were “false and untrue” in a statement issued subsequent to the watchdog’s report’s release.
The former staff member expressed his optimism that the findings would also result in greater independent oversight of political parties, adding that he was “relieved” by the results.
He said nothing will ever be enough after losing his career, aspirations, and identity before Parliament.
Not only have I endeavoured to expose this for my own benefit, but also on behalf of others who have endured comparable mistreatment, whether in Westminster or other governing bodies, and have been unable to do so themselves.
