Summary
- Suella Braverman claims sexual misconduct at parliament part of wider problem linked to ‘coarsening of behaviour’. She said that watching pornography on a phone in the Commons chamber was “absolutely reprehensible”. She added that she did not know the identity of the male Tory MP accused of doing this, and that she was not at the meeting on Monday night when a colleague first spoke about witnessing this.
- Conservative MP Jamie Wallis charged with failing to stop after a car crash last year. The MP for Bridgend and first openly transgender MP was arrested on suspicion of “driving whilst unfit” following the late-night collision when a car hit a lamppost in Llanblethian on 28 November. At the time Wallis said he was “assisting police with their inquiries”.
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Liam Byrne says he is ‘profoundly sorry’ for bullying member of staff.
The Labour MP Liam Byrne has issued a statement saying he is “profoundly sorry” for bullying a member of his staff. He said he was glad that the panel that investigated the complaint, and recommended a two-day suspension as punishment, recognised his remorse.
- Parliament prorogues. This involves a ceremony that sees MPs attending the House of Lords (as they do for the Queen’s speech), where they listen as a royal commission (five peers, wearing robes and bicorne hats) announces that the current session of parliament is over.
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Sturgeon says society will lose out if sexism means women are discouraged from entering politics. Asked at FMQs about sexist attacks on Angela Rayner, the Labour frontbencher, Sturgeon said that she was “absolutely appalled both by the male Conservative MP who thought it was okay to make these pathetic and derogatory comments, but also by the fact that we still live in a society that is deemed acceptable for a story like that to be published in a major newspaper”.
- The Cabinet Office says UK firms will save at least £1bn from the decision to delay some planned post-Brexit checks on food imports. Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Brexit opportunities minister, has confirmed that the UK is delaying the introduction of physical checks on fresh food being imported into the country from the EU. As my colleague Lisa O’Carroll writes, it is the fourth time the introduction of these measures – part of the new post-Brexit border controls – has been delayed.
- Starmer says Tories should take action now against the MP accused of watching porn on his phone in the chamber. Keir Starmer has told ITV that the Conservative party should take act immediately.
- Boris Johnson has said allegations that a Tory MP watched pornography in the Commons chamber are “obviously unacceptable”.
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Updated
Boris Johnson has said allegations that a Tory MP watched pornography in the Commons chamber are “obviously unacceptable”.
Asked by broadcasters during a visit to Burnley whether the parliamentarian would lose the Conservative whip if the allegations are proven, the prime minister said:
I think it’s obviously unacceptable for anybody to be doing that kind of thing in the workplace.
It would be the same for any kind of job up and down the country, let’s be absolutely clear about that.
What needs to happen now is that the proper procedures need to be gone through, the independent complaints and grievances procedure needs to be activated and we need to get to understand the facts, but, yeah, that kind of behaviour is clearly totally unacceptable.”
Updated
