LONDON — A female lawmaker told POLITICO that another lawmaker touched her inappropriately while on a foreign trip.
The MP said the incident, with a male MP over the age of 25, was organized by an all-party parliamentary group, cross-party groups of MPs and peers of a common interest on a trip to a European country last year. Travel details have been seen and verified by POLITICO.
She later complained to the person she calls her party whip, MPs in charge of party discipline, that she did not believe in her party’s formal complaints procedure or the parliamentary complaints system, and did not believe that a The complaint will result in any consequences for him.
She said of the trip: “What shocked me was how much drinking went on – almost every night until two or three o’clock.”
She said she avoided late-night drinking sessions because she didn’t feel it was appropriate, and she wouldn’t necessarily feel safe if they were present.
Many British MPs have been Accused of using parliamentary visits abroad As opportunities for unfair treatment and even covert use of sex workers, Politico reported last week as part of an ongoing investigation into these parliamentary groups.
Many of the claims relate to the activities of “Country APPGs” – backbench cross-party groups made up of MPs and peers focusing on a country or group of countries. The allegations also come as Westminster struggles to cope with a wave of bullying and sexual harassment allegations.
The woman MP said that since the visit she had tried to avoid the alleged offender in Parliament wherever possible – sometimes leaving the room or walking with others to defend herself.
Despite this, she said that he bumps into her regularly, and that she usually makes an effort to engage in conversation.
APPGs are subject to less stringent rules than the better known select committees of the House of Commons, but are still able to use parliamentary premises for their meetings and undertake regular trips abroad funded by foreign governments or private companies. .
Eleni Kouria contributed reporting.