SEXUAL harassment at Westminster is confined to “isolated incidents” and is not linked to the parliament’s drinking culture, one of its most senior officers has claimed.
David Leakey, who stepped down as Black Rod last month after seven years in the role, also defended the notorious Sports and Social Club bar as “really well-run” rather than a “den of iniquity”.
The Sports and Social was closed temporarily last month after a reported late night fight, and claims by a former manager of sexual harassment by MPs.
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Alice Bailey said she had repeatedly pestered for sex by MPs, some of whom “spent all day boozing” and “fancied their chances” because of their status.
The bar, a favourite of parliamentary staff and MPs’ researchers, was also highlighted by some female MPs for misconduct.
Labour’s Chi Onwurah told the Commons she knew “a number of researchers, male and female, who had been made to feel deeply uncomfortable” in the bar by MPs.
However Mr Leakey, who besides having a ceremonial role in the state opening of parliament was also in charge of administering the House of Lords, denied there was a problem.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour: “The Sports and Social Club is a really well-run bar. It’s not been this den of iniquity. It’s a very civilised place to go for a drink.”
Previously privately run, the bar’s management is now being taken in-house.
Mr Leakey went on: “I don’t think the allegations of sexual harassment is necessarily directly linked to a drinking culture. These are isolated incidents.
“It’s a perfectly civilised working place for 99 per cent of the people for 99 per cent of the time and I think what goes on in Parliament is probably not that much different from what goes on in other well-regulated working places.”
Mr Leakey also warned the dilapidated parliament was classed as being at “red risk” of a fire.
Backing a “full decant” of Westminster to allow its £4bn restoration, he said: “If you don’t do something about it, you are at risk of a high impact, high probability event which will disrupt Parliament. It could be a fire, it could be a catastrophic failure of the infrastructure of the building – its electrics, the IT system, the heating system – which would make it unusable as a Parliament.
“If we don’t do it now then we might be having to salvage a building rather that restore a building. It is a globally iconic building. It’s not just the UK Parliament, people refer to it all around the world as the mother of Parliaments.
“If it was to burn down, it would be a national disgrace, a national embarrassment, an international one, and I just don’t think our Parliament can afford to go on running that risk.”
“There could be loss of life if this place caught fire.”
He urged parliament to start holding fire drills when the Commons and Lords chambers were sitting, something that has never happened before.
He said: “You never know that your drills are good enough until you’ve rehearsed and tested them. I don’t think Parliament should exempt itself from doing what every other proper organisation should do to ensure the safety of everybody in the building.”