A shadow cabinet member has been accused of making lewd comments to a female MP
(Picture: PA Archive)Labour was on Thursday facing its own sleaze storm after a Welsh MP accused a member of the shadow cabinet of making lewd comments.
The BBC reported the Labour frontbencher described the MP, who does not want to be identified, as a “secret weapon” because “women want to be her friend” and men want to sleep with her.
According to the report, she said it was not the only sexist or misogynistic behaviour she had experienced in parliament or on parliamentary business.
No formal complaint had been made in this case but Labour urged the person involved to come forward.
The MP reportedly said that after consulting her team she felt it was not in her best interests to reveal her identity in public or to make a complaint.
A Labour Party spokeswoman said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints extremely seriously.
“They are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate action is taken.”
Party sources added that it had recently implemented a new independent complaints procedure to ensure complainants have confidence in how their complaint will be handled.
The Welsh MP described a conversation at an event where someone complimented her on being a “rising star” of her party.
She said that before she could reply the shadow cabinet member had intervened to describe her as “a secret weapon. Women want to be her friend” and men want to sleep with her.
It follows the furore over a newspaper story about Labour’s Angela Rayner, which included claims that she crosses and uncrosses her legs in the Commons to distract Boris Johnson.
