London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 02, 2025

House of Lords issues gag order after probe found 60 senior peers missed ‘values’ training dubbed ‘patronising nonsense’ - reports

House of Lords issues gag order after probe found 60 senior peers missed ‘values’ training dubbed ‘patronising nonsense’ - reports

The UK Parliament has issued gag orders to a number of senior peers in the House of Lords, after an investigation found 60 honourable members had failed to participate in mandatory ‘values’ workshops.

The virtual course, titled ‘Valuing Everyone’, was instituted by Parliament as part of a conduct makeover last year and deals with anti-bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment. Members were given until April 1 to complete the training or risk being found in breach of the Lords’ code of conduct.

More than 700 peers have attended the training, but nearly a tenth of the peerage – many of whom said they were unaware they needed to comply – failed to meet the deadline. Consequently, Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, the Lords’ standards commissioner, launched 60 investigations into the matter.

On the list were senior peers, including author Jeffrey Archer, one-time deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine and former House of Commons speaker Betty Boothroyd.

Not only are the peers facing disciplinary proceedings ranging from an informal rebuke or having to make a personal apology to indefinite suspension, but they have been warned they will be held in contempt of Parliament if they speak about it publicly, according to the Times.

Heseltine, 88, told media outlets he was being harangued while recovering from a knee operation in a nursing home.

“To believe that people who actually indulge in prejudice or bullying or womanising are going to have their behaviour changed by reading a set of platitudes is naïve and, to a degree, irresponsible,” Heseltine told the paper, noting that the training avoids exacting “real penalties” for bad behaviour, such as expulsion from the House.

Boothroyd, 91, had reportedly informed Scott-Moncrieff of a recent heart operation and said she was self-isolating in the countryside, only to be told that an inquiry would be launched nevertheless, according to The Daily Mail.

Reacting to the news, writer and comedian Timandra Harkness tweeted that as a “veteran politician, [Boothroyd] should be TEACHING that course!” Boothroyd’s fellow peer, Claire Fox, chimed in to say, “Having done the course [myself], it would have been far more valuable if she had.”


The Mail also reported that a spokesman for Archer, 81, said he had not been informed of the need to attend.

Noting that the training has been “praised in separate independent external reviews”, an unnamed Lords spokesman told the Times it was important to ensure “everyone working here is able to recognise bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct, and feels confident taking action to tackle and prevent it.”

But Tom Hunt, vice-chairman of the Common Sense Group of Conservative MPs, told the paper it was “totally wrong that people are being investigated and harangued” for not attending the workshops.

Another peer, Jacqueline Foster, tweeted that she had participated in the two-hour online course of “expensive, patronising nonsense” but “lost the will about 10 mins in!” after they were “treated like children, with typical stereotypical role-play footage.”


Accusing the authorities of “hunting down our parliamentary heroes”, Conservative MP Alicia Kearns said that “taxpayers have been taken for a ride” and criticized the course for covering such subjects as whether it was “appropriate to take our staff to the pub”.

Last month, a parliamentary answer revealed that, as of March 8, some £82,158 ($114,326) of public funds had been spent on the training for members of the House of Lords. The figure includes an assumption of cost per head, as well as a 30% share of development costs, pilot sessions and administration fees.

Both Houses of Parliament received the same training.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
×