London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 18, 2025

UK parliament urged to bar arrested MPs from Westminster estate

UK parliament urged to bar arrested MPs from Westminster estate

Staff, trade unions and victims’ campaigners have long called for toughening of informal system for keeping arrested MPs away from the Commons.
A panel of MPs could be given the power to exclude their colleagues from Westminster, under plans to break a deadlock over how to deal with lawmakers suspected of serious misconduct.

The U.K.’s parliamentary authorities are expected to receive a paper on Monday drawn up by senior House of Commons advisers setting out options for barring MPs accused of sexual assault from the parliamentary estate.

Parliamentary staff, trade unions and victims’ rights campaigners have long been calling for the introduction of a formal bar, but attempts to set one up have so far run aground.

At present MPs facing claims of sexual assault usually reach an informal agreement with the whips and Commons Speaker to keep away from parliament, but there is no means of enforcing it.

A Conservative MP in his 50s has been under arrest since May on suspicion of rape, sexual assault, indecent assault, abuse of a position of trust and misconduct in a public office.

Separately, Imran Ahmad Khan, a former Tory MP jailed earlier this year for sexually assaulting a child, showed up in parliament while awaiting trial despite undertaking to keep away from the premises.

The House of Commons Commission, the Commons’ managing body, will now be asked to choose between maintaining the status quo and finding a way to enforce the current convention.

One option being considered is a sub-panel of the commission or a committee of MPs which could review risk assessments on a case-by-case basis and determine whether an MP ought to be excluded, according to two officials familiar with discussions.

MPs have previously suggested that the bar for exclusion ought to be when a parliamentarian is charged with an offense, but they are now being urged to look at triggering exclusion from the point of arrest.

In April, a cross-party group of MPs on the House of Commons procedure committee ruled out an inquiry into the matter, citing the difficulty of finding a suitable mechanism and the danger of breaking the confidentiality of investigations.

John Benger, parliament’s most senior clerk, argued in written evidence to the committee that it was “a fundamental constitutional right” for MPs to represent their constituents in parliament, highlighting just how complex it would be to curtail attendance.

Procedural experts believe the move to introduce a bar would have to be approved by MPs but that it would not require legislation.

“We’re presented with lots of reasons why it can’t happen,” said one senior parliamentary official, “but it’s about formalizing something that already exists. We’ve already recognized the basic principle that having an alleged rapist in the workplace isn’t acceptable.”

Prospect and the FDA — two unions representing parliamentary workers and civil servants — will be writing to the Commission ahead of the meeting on Monday.

“We will be again seeking to raise the issue of how parliament can make sure it is like all other workplaces and puts in place effective measures to safeguard staff while allegations against MPs are being investigated,” said a spokesman for Prospect.

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.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
×