MPs suspected of sexual misconduct could be banned from the parliamentary estate by a panel of MPs, under plans considered by officials, it has been reported.
Campaigners have been calling for the introduction of formal bans after Imran Ahmad Khan attended parliament while he was awaiting trial for sexual assault, despite telling Tory officials he would stay away.
Khan was sentenced to 18 months in jail for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy after plying him with gin at a party in 2008.
Meanwhile, a Conservative MP in his 50s who was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, indecent assault and rape has been asked to stay away from parliament, but Tory whips will not decide whether the whip should be formally removed until the investigation is completed.
The Commons commission is to meet on Monday to discuss a new paper on how to exclude MPs facing claims of sexual assault. While politicians have previously suggested exclusion should occur when an MP is charged, they are now being asked to consider exclusion on arrest.
Experts are understood to believe the ban would need to be approved by MPs, but it would not require legislation.
A senior parliamentary official told Politico: “We’re presented with lots of reasons why it can’t happen, but it’s about formalising something that already exists. We’ve already recognised that having an alleged rapist in the workplace isn’t acceptable.”
A source told the Guardian it was right for the rules to be reviewed as they were “decades old” and should be “the same for everyone”. “Surely laws should be modern and the ban should reflect the severity of the offence, moving us into a recent century,” they said.
Fresh accounts of Westminster sleaze have dominated politics this year, including the Tory MP Neil Parish quitting politics after admitting to watching pornography in the Commons, and Chris Pincher being forced to step down and having the Tory whip removed over allegations of sexual assault.
A House of Commons spokesperson said: “Bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct have absolutely no place in the House of Commons and we acknowledge that there is still work to be done to ensure that everyone is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.”
