Westminster bullying and harassment claims being ‘swept under carpet’ by Commons authorities, senior MP says

Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee Maria Miller warns the House of Commons could be brought into disrepute

A senior Conservative MP has accused the Commons authorities of having “swept under the carpet” significant problems around bullying and harassment in Westminster.

Maria Miller, who chairs the Women and Equalities Committee, warned that the House of Commons could be brought into “disrepute” over the “disgraceful” way a damning report into the subject is being taken forward.

She called for “clarity” over when speaker John Bercow would stand down, and claimed it was “curious” that many women MPs had fallen out with him.

Earlier in the year – amid the fallout that followed Dame Laura Cox’s inquiry into bullying and harassment allegations – it was reported that Mr Bercow would stand down in the summer.

In an interview with Press Association, Ms Miller said: “It’s absolutely disgraceful the way in which the Cox report is being taken forward, and that significant issues that she raised appear to be being swept under the carpet.

“I will continue to do everything that I can to make sure that there is an acknowledgement of the need to change the culture here.”

She added: “At the moment it’s clear that a number of modernisation projects here have stalled and that is completely unacceptable and MPs will be taking the matter into their own hands.”

She said Dame Laura was “absolutely clear” that there would not be a change in the culture unless there is a change in senior management – including Mr Bercow and the commons clerk.

Ms Miller said: “Sir David Natzler has announced that he will be leaving: we now need clarity as to when the speaker will be leaving.”

She alluded to recent incidents in the Commons between Mr Bercow and female Conservative MPs, including former education secretary Nicky Morgan questioning his approach to selecting those who ask questions, and allegations that he called Commons leader Andrea Leadsom a “stupid woman”.

Ms Miller said: “The reason people will not speak out is fear of the speaker, they are fearful of him and maybe they have just cause to be fearful of him.

“He controls your ability to be able to contribute in the chamber, and secondly his outbursts can be very embarrassing and for some people even humiliating.”

The ex-cabinet minister added: “Many female colleagues appear to have found themselves on the wrong side of the speaker, which is curious.”

Dame Laura said she had found endemic bullying and harassment in parliament, in which more than 200 former and current Commons staff had reported being affected.

The former judge said she found a culture of “deference, subservience, acquiescence and silence” and recommended that people in management roles should consider their positions. The speaker has been the subject of multiple bullying allegations, which he denies.

A spokesman for the speaker said: “The speaker, alongside the entire House of Commons Commission, has committed to swift and lasting change in response to Dame Laura Cox’s report and accepted its key recommendations. A number of changes have already been made in response to the report and the speaker hopes and expects to see further such progress made in 2019.

“The speaker was elected by the house in 2017 for the course of the parliament. In the event he has anything to say on his future plans, he will make an announcement to the house first.”