Labour MP Charlotte Nichols steps up her attack on her own party for failing to act quickly enough against alleged sex pests
- She said ‘Labour Party should and could be better’ on dealing with allegations
Labour MP Charlotte Nichols stepped up her attack on her own party yesterday for failing to act quickly enough against alleged sex pests.
She told The Mail on Sunday that ‘the Labour Party should and could be better’ on dealing with serious allegations against its own MPs.
The claim comes after Labour MP Geraint Davies was suspended last week over what the party said were allegations of ‘completely unacceptable behaviour’.
Two formal complaints against the Swansea West MP have now been submitted, though he has said he does not recognise the allegations made against him.
Warrington North MP Ms Nichols said last week the party had ‘chosen not to act’ against other MPs before.
Charlotte Nichols (pictured) told The Mail on Sunday that ‘the Labour Party should and could be better’ on dealing with serious allegations against its own MPs
The row comes as MPs prepare to vote later this month on formally banning any colleague facing ‘credible’ allegations of sexual abuse from the Parliamentary estate at Westminster.
Originally, the Commons was expected to consider plans to ban any MP who had been formally charged by police with an offence.
But sources told this newspaper last night that the proposal was now likely to be made much tougher – with the ban threshold lowered to anyone facing a credible accusation of serious misbehaviour.
That would involve a ‘risk-based approach’ whereby an expert panel would assess whether an accused MP posed a threat to others on the estate. However, there are also proposals for the new regime to last initially for a trial period of 18 months.
Last night, sources close to Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt strongly denied that she had argued for the much lower threshold for banning once an MP was formally charged.
Under current arrangements, alleged sex pest MPs voluntarily stay away from the Commons, normally at the private request of the Speaker.
Even under the stricter banning proposals, the politicians concerned would still qualify for proxy votes while their case was being investigated.
The Labour Party was approached for comment last night.
