Agencies : "He pushed me against the wall... He said I definitely want him because he is a strong man" This is what a Conservative MP in the House of Commons did to British Trade Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan. The incident she experienced years ago she finally remembered amid renewed concern about hatred and sexual harassment towards women in the British House of Commons.

Even by the standards of the British Parliament, which has witnessed major scandals, the last two weeks have been noisy, culminating in the suspension of the membership of a Conservative MP accused of watching pornographic material in Parliament.

Trevelyan's confessions recalled scandals dating back to 2017 that caused a series of ministerial resignations and launched the "Me too" campaign in Britain, showing that this is an old problem that still exists to this day.

She told Sky News that all the women in Parliament were subjected to inappropriate conduct, including touching, announcing that this situation will not change.

Disorders within the Conservative Party

This became widespread at a time when the Conservative Party is under increasing pressure, amid an investigation into allegations that a Conservative MP watched pornographic clips on his mobile phone while sitting next to a minister in the House of Commons. The name of the MP was handed over to Chris Heaton-Harris, who is responsible for disciplinary affairs in the party.

Last night, a group of Conservatives suspended the membership of British MP Neil Parish, who informed the parliamentary committee responsible for MPs' conduct issues that he did that.

The British Conservative Party led by Boris Johnson opened an investigation on Wednesday after Parish was accused of watching pornographic material in the House of Commons. But his name was not revealed at that time.

Parish wrote on his website, "After the recent allegations concerning the use of a mobile phone by one of the MPs, I personally informed the concerned parliamentary committee."

His wife, Sue Parish, a mother of two, said she heard on the BBC the news that he informed the parliamentary commissioner for discipline himself about what happened.

She said in the living room of their farmhouse in Somerset: "It was very embarrassing... I honestly felt like I was suffocating."

When asked if she knew that her husband had done something similar before, she replied: "No. He is really an ordinary man. He is a beloved person. What happened was stupid."

Parish said he wanted to tell his wife before the news spread, but he was stuck in his constituency in Honiton and his phone battery ran out. Then he got stuck in traffic.
His official position is that he is referring himself to the parliamentary commissioner for discipline, and he will cooperate fully, but he expressed regret.

Trevelyan confirmed that female MPs still face different forms of harassment, saying that she was touched inappropriately about six times.

She told British LBC radio that the incident was a toxic mix of alcohol and arrogance, leading some MPs to cling to misogynistic views and behaviors.

It turned out that Harris’s office identified the accused MP, but the Conservative Party suggested only resorting to an independent complaints system in this case, admitting that witnesses are the only ones who can open an investigation by submitting a formal complaint.

Similar accounts

While some similar incidents are just sexually suggestive comments, others fall under criminal offenses.

In a report titled: "For Hell’s sake, what is happening in Westminster?", a former parliamentary employee told Politico magazine that she was sexually assaulted by a prominent party official who is still in office, but she has not yet decided whether to report the incident. She described what is happening as "scary," expressing her concern about similar incidents not being taken seriously.

A former Conservative Party employee said that a 2019 elected MP publicly spoke about details of his sex life, making female employees uncomfortable about his behavior.

A former Conservative MP claimed that a current government member has a "monitor" who ensures that he leaves events fully conscious and without getting involved in problems.

In the questions session directed to Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the House of Commons, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said that 56 MPs are under investigation by parliamentary authorities on charges of sexual misconduct, including three ministers.

In response to Lucas's question about whether sexual misconduct is a cause for expulsion from Parliament, Johnson acknowledged that sexual harassment is not tolerable.

Limited deterrence measures

A complaints committee was formed in 2018 after objections to handling allegations of similar behaviors within the council.

On the other hand, the new procedures exclude MPs from determining whether one of their colleagues has violated bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct rules.

Under this process, an independent committee can recommend sanctions if an MP is found guilty. If it recommends suspending an MP's membership, the council must approve its decision.