Parliament watchdog investigating ‘around 15’ MPs for allegations of bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct

Parliament’s independent watchdog has said around 15 MPs are being investigated for alleged bullying or sexual misconduct.

The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) previously confirmed there were 15 cases opened between July 2020 and June 2021, and that it was seeing ‘a similar trend in disclosure’ so far this year.

It comes after the the Conservative MP Neil Parish was referred to the body, before resigning at the weekend after admitting watching porn in the Commons chamber in a “moment of madness”.

The independent body is for all members of the parliamentary community, including MPs’ staffers, and contains a number of behavioural codes, including the policy on sexual misconduct in Parliament.

The watchdog — set up in the wake of the Me Too scandal — does not ordinarily provide updates on beyond an annual report.

But in correspondence with MPs last week the ICGS said it was providing an “exceptional” update.

It is understood the final figure for this year will be published in the ICGS’s annual report in the “coming months”.

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In the first two years of the ICGS — 2018 and 2019 — there were 12 and 16 cases respectively.

It comes after unconfirmed reports in The Sunday Times last month that 56 MPs, including three cabinet ministers, had been referred to the body over 70 separate complaints.

The last ICGS annual report stated that of the 45 cases started in the previous year, 15 were against MPs, but there may well have been a higher number of complaints that did not lead to cases.

The ICGS message to MPs on Friday read: “In the interests of transparency, I want to give as clear a picture as I can about current case rates, but I am doing this on an exceptional basis given the scale of speculation.

“I am not providing real-time data in order to protect individuals currently using the ICGS and we will not provide any further information outside our usual reporting mechanisms”.

A House of Commons spokesperson told The Independent: “We cannot confirm or deny any current investigations. Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) operates on the basis of confidentially for the benefit of all parties.

“Therefore we cannot provide any information on complaints or investigation, including whether or not a complaint has been received or whether an investigation is ongoing.”