London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 14, 2025

Boris Johnson allowing ‘wild west’ of misogyny in parliament, Tracy Brabin says

Boris Johnson allowing ‘wild west’ of misogyny in parliament, Tracy Brabin says

West Yorkshire mayor’s comments came amid renewed focus on sexual misconduct in parliament
Boris Johnson is allowing a “wild west” culture of misogyny to grow in Westminster by failing to tackle “the arrogance of privately educated men,” England’s only female metro mayor has said.

Tracy Brabin, the Labour mayor for West Yorkshire, said: “The idea that somebody who was elected by the public is watching pornography on his phone whilst being at work – I think it’s an aggressive act in the first instance, because women and others will see you doing that. And it’s an arrogance that they are above the law.

“I think unfortunately it comes from the top. This behaviour will only get worse because of the dereliction of duty of the leader. If you don’t lead with principles, dignity, inclusivity and equality then it’s a wild west. It’s a free for all.”

Her comments came amid renewed focus on misogyny and sexual misconduct in parliament as a string of female MPs came forward with examples of sexism and harassment.

Labour and some senior Conservatives have demanded to know why the whip has not been withdrawn from the pornography watching MP, who has been identified by two party colleagues. The Conservative chief whip, Chris Heaton-Harris, has said the unnamed MP should be referred to an independent complaints process.

Brabin, the former Labour MP for Batley and Spen, is the only woman among the 10 metro mayors in England. She heads the M10 group of mayors, which include the Conservative Andy Street and Labour’s Sadiq Khan, and represents 2.3 million people in West Yorkshire – meaning she is Labour’s most powerful woman outside Westminster.

In an interview to mark her first year in office, Brabin said she felt more pressure to deliver as the only woman and that political parties, including Labour, must do more to get women into leadership roles.

Brabin, a former Coronation Street actor, said she had not directly been subject to misogyny during her five years in parliament because, she said, there was cross-party affection for her after the murder of her friend and predecessor, Jo Cox.

The former shadow culture secretary received a slew of online abuse after wearing an outfit that showed part of her shoulder as she spoke at the dispatch box in February 2020. She responded to her abusers at the time by tweeting that she was “not a slag, hungover, a tart, about to breastfeed, a slapper, drunk [or] just been banged over a wheelie bin”.

She said: “It was really shocking. Not frightening, it was just shocking. Men interpreted what happened in a sexual way. People say about Boris Johnson, or other people who come to the dispatch box: ‘They look tired, or dishevelled,’ but it’s not sexualised. Women are always sexualised.”

Brabin compared sexualised online abuse with the comments by Tory MPs who accused Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, of using a “Basic Instinct” ploy to distract the prime minister by crossing and uncrossing her legs in parliament.

“That’s what happened to Angie,” she said. “It doesn’t say much about Boris Johnson that his colleagues think he’s so easily distracted he’s like some teenager that just can’t keep it in his pants, but maybe they know him better than we do.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
×