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LONDON — Former Labour MP Mike Hill committed two serious breaches of parliament’s sexual misconduct policy, an independent panel has found.
Hill resigned as an MP in March after being informed of the decision, triggering the Hartlepool by-election at which Labour lost the seat to the Conservatives.
The independent expert panel, which deals with the most serious allegations of wrongdoing against MPs, upheld complaints by a former employee of Hill’s who said he subjected her to unwanted sexual touching at his home and in his parliamentary office.
The panel rejected a third complaint; that he had discriminated against her in the workplace because she had reported him for his behavior.
Hill denied all the allegations against him and appealed the outcome, but his appeals were unsuccessful.
The report concluded the ex-MP, who entered parliament in 2017, would likely have been suspended had he not quit, and remarked on the fact that its powers to sanction former MPs were “extremely limited.”
House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle stripped Hill of the lifelong parliamentary pass to which he would normally be entitled, following the panel’s findings.
In upholding the woman’s complaint about Hill’s behavior in his office, the panel overruled the conclusions of the investigator first assigned to her case and the Commons standards commissioner.
The panel called the investigator’s reasoning “seriously flawed” on several counts, including his assessment of what constituted an “atypical” reaction after an alleged sexual assault.
Women’s rights activists and trade unions have protested at the slow handling of the complaints, which were first made in 2019, and the lack of action from the Labour Party. Hill had the whip briefly suspended in 2019, but has otherwise sat and voted as a Labour MP for most of his time in parliament.
The GMB union said in a statement: “We believe opportunities were missed by both Parliament and the Labour Party to ensure justice in the time since [2019].”
“Clearly there were multiple junctures where better decisions could’ve been made, including within the Labour Party’s own internal processes.”
Prospect, a trade union representing parliamentary staff, called on the Commons authorities to consider barring MPs under investigation for sexual misconduct from Westminster.
Garry Graham, deputy secretary-general of Prospect, said: “This ruling raises questions over whether it is right that men who are accused of sexual misconduct are permitted to physically interact with female staff, visitors and MPs themselves, when serious allegations have been made against them and are under investigation.
“The House must now surely review its current practices with regard to sexual allegations against MPs, particularly on this issue of how women can be kept safe at work, while allegations are investigated.”
A parliamentary spokesman said: “Parliament’s Behaviour Code makes clear the standards of behaviour expected of everyone in Parliament, whether staff, members of the House of Lords, MPs or visitors. There is zero tolerance for abuse or harassment. The Behaviour Code is supported by the Independent Complaints and Grievances Scheme (ICGS), which provides for the investigation of complaints of bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct”
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Labour Party has a zero tolerance approach to sexual harassment and we take all complaints extremely seriously. Complaints are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.”
It is understood that Hill has been suspended as a Labour Party member pending further investigation in the wake of the panel’s report.
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