British minister to be investigated over sexual harassment allegation

[webfact]

British minister to be investigated over sexual harassment allegation

 

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May has ordered an investigation into a report that one of her ministers asked a female secretary to buy sex toys for him, as she tries to tackle a culture of sexual harassment in politics.

 

Mark Garnier, a junior international trade minister, asked secretary Caroline Edmondson to buy two sex toys and he also called her "sugar tits", the Mail on Sunday reported.

 

Garnier told the paper that the comment was part of an amusing conversation about a television show, and that asking her to buy the toys was "good humoured high jinks".

 

Edmondson, in comments to the paper, disputed Garnier's recollection of the incidents, including his assertion that they were "high jinks".

 

The report came after another British newspaper, the Sun, on Friday described a culture of sexual harassment among lawmakers and their staff working in parliament.

 

Garnier was not immediately available for comment to Reuters through his constituency or parliamentary offices.

 

May's spokeswoman said on Friday after the Sun's report that any unwanted sexual behaviour was "completely unacceptable" and any minister who acted inappropriately would face "serious action".

 

Health Minister Jeremy Hunt said on Sunday May had asked officials to investigate if Garnier, whose role is outside the cabinet immediately surrounding May, had broken the government ministers' code of behaviour.

 

"These stories, if they are true, are obviously totally unacceptable," Hunt told BBC television.

 

"The Cabinet Office will be conducting an investigation as to whether there has been a breach of the ministerial code in this particular case, but as you know the facts are disputed."

 

May, in a letter released to media, also asked John Bercow, the speaker of the lower house of parliament, the House of Commons, on Sunday for his advice about changing the culture there.

 

"I believe it is important that those who work in the House of Commons are treated properly and fairly, as would be expected in any modern workplace," May said in the letter.

 

She said measures such as a disciplinary procedure suggested by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and a voluntary code of conduct offered by the Conservative Party to its lawmakers did not go far enough.

 

"I believe that we must establish a House-wide mediation service complemented by a contractually binding grievance procedure available for all MPs (lawmakers) irrespective of their party banner," she said in the letter.

 

"It is vital that staff and the public have confidence in parliament, and resolving this employment irregularity on a cross-party basis can play an important role in this."

 

Reports of inappropriate behaviour in British politics, and in other industries, came in the wake of dozens of allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein has denied having non-consensual sex with anyone.

 

Britain's environment minister Michael Gove apologised on Saturday after he likened being interviewed by a BBC radio presenter to entering Weinstein's bedroom. After the analogy was widely criticised, Gove, a cabinet minister, apologised for what he said was a "clumsy attempt at humour".

 

The Sun newspaper said on Friday that women working in politics in Westminster had created a WhatsApp instant messaging group to discuss their experiences of harassment and warn others about potential perpetrators.

 

"The prime minister was very clear when we responded to the reports about Harvey Weinstein in the last few weeks that any unwanted sexual behaviour is completely unacceptable, and that is true in any walk of life including politics," May's spokeswoman said on Friday.

 

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Alison Williams and Susan Fenton)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-10-30

[darksidedog]

Therein lies the difference between the UK and the US. In the UKs politics you get a secretary to buy a couple of dildos and you face the sack. In the US you can boast about grabbing women by the pussy and get elected President.

[Lantern]

Ain't that the truth.

[VillageIdiot]

23 minutes ago, Lantern said:

Ain't that the truth.

No sex please, we're British.

[impulse]

31 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

Therein lies the difference between the UK and the US. In the UKs politics you get a secretary to buy a couple of dildos and you face the sack. In the US you can boast about grabbing women by the pussy and get elected President.

 

More the difference between an elected official and an appointed one.

 

[BuaBS]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Mark Garnier, a junior international trade minister, asked secretary Caroline Edmondson to buy two sex toys and he also called her "sugar tits", the Mail on Sunday reported.

Ridiculous ! No sexual harassment here.  It's getting way out of hand after the Weinstein thingy. Just women getting back at their boss .

[RuamRudy]

The government lurching from crisis to self made crisis - it has a touch of the dying days of the Major prime ministership about it. 

[Grouse]

8 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

The government lurching from crisis to self made crisis - it has a touch of the dying days of the Major prime ministership about it. 

Always been embarrassingly sleezy stuff about the Con Party! Remember David Mellor?

[colinneil]

11 minutes ago, Grouse said:

Always been embarrassingly sleezy stuff about the Con Party! Remember David Mellor?

Yes i remember the toe sucker in his Chelsea shirt.

So a minister asks her secretary to buy a sex toy, the crime of the century, flog him, lock him in the tower.

Theresa May has a lot more serious matters to look into, you know like getting the country out of the bloody mess it is in.

[champers]

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

Yes i remember the toe sucker in his Chelsea shirt.

So a minister asks her secretary to buy a sex toy, the crime of the century, flog him, lock him in the tower.

Theresa May has a lot more serious matters to look into, you know like getting the country out of the bloody mess it is in.

There are certainly more important things, but sex scandals are money spinners for the media. I will guess that this weekend's stories are just the tip of a very big iceberg and none of the major political parties will avoid being targetted. The more lurid and deviant the better, as far as the red top papers are concerned. Cheque book journalism will be back with a bang (pardon the pun).

[baboon]

2 hours ago, Grouse said:

Always been embarrassingly sleezy stuff about the Con Party! Remember David Mellor?

I'll see your David Mellor and raise you a Cecil Parkinson...

[SABloke]

4 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Therein lies the difference between the UK and the US. In the UKs politics you get a secretary to buy a couple of dildos and you face the sack. In the US you can boast about grabbing women by the pussy and get elected President.

You don't see the difference between government rep. doing something callous while occupying a position in government and a private citizen making a crass comment which was recorded and then released years later during an election campaign? 

[Baerboxer]

5 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Therein lies the difference between the UK and the US. In the UKs politics you get a secretary to buy a couple of dildos and you face the sack. In the US you can boast about grabbing women by the pussy and get elected President.

 

You can even get an intern to give you a blow job when President, and then lie about it under oath and still keep your job!

[Baerboxer]

27 minutes ago, baboon said:

I'll see your David Mellor and raise you a Cecil Parkinson...

 

Let's not forget Messrs Janner (deceased) and Vaz (amazingly untouchable!).

 

Seams the sleaze spreads well.

[Baerboxer]

3 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

The government lurching from crisis to self made crisis - it has a touch of the dying days of the Major prime ministership about it. 

 

You consider a sexist sleazy dope of a Minister to be a crisis? And self made by the government?

 

Yeah right.

[Baerboxer]

3 hours ago, BuaBS said:

Ridiculous ! No sexual harassment here.  It's getting way out of hand after the Weinstein thingy. Just women getting back at their boss .

 

This is another silly ex public schoolboy who hasn't grown out of adolescence and still things women are objects men can treat how they want. A prize prat.

 

[RuamRudy]

1 minute ago, Baerboxer said:

 

You consider a sexist sleazy dope of a Minister to be a crisis? And self made by the government?

 

Yeah right.

Sorry, my mistake - everything is going swimmingly for Theresa and her team. 

[baboon]

10 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Let's not forget Messrs Janner (deceased) and Vaz (amazingly untouchable!).

 

Seams the sleaze spreads well.

Don't even get me bloody started on Vaz.? Just because my politics are slightly to the left doesn't mean I can't recognise a complete scumbag when I see one...

Edited October 30, 2017 by baboon

[RuamRudy]

3 minutes ago, baboon said:

Don't even get me bloody started on Vaz. Just because my politics are slightly to the left doesn't mean I can't recognise a complete scumbag when I see one...

Unfortunately behind a pay-wall, but the tantalisingly labeled 'In and Out' report is apparently sent to the PM on a regular basis:

 

Theresa May allows ‘serial sex pests’ to serve in her cabinet

 

Theresa May was embroiled in the Westminster sexual harassment scandal last night as Downing Street officials revealed that the prime minister gets weekly updates about the sexual indiscretions of Conservative MPs — but has allowed ministers accused of wrongdoing to serve in her cabinet.

[terryw]

I see a witchunt starting. Labour already have two MP's being investigated and the news today is that a lot more from both main parties will soon be exposed.

 

It will be interesting to see how differently Corbyn and May react to this.

[Baerboxer]

10 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Sorry, my mistake - everything is going swimmingly for Theresa and her team. 

 

But not anything to do with this topic though.

 

But why miss a chance to slag off and make political commentary instead of staying on topic?

[Baerboxer]

2 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Unfortunately behind a pay-wall, but the tantalisingly labeled 'In and Out' report is apparently sent to the PM on a regular basis:

 

Theresa May allows ‘serial sex pests’ to serve in her cabinet

 

Theresa May was embroiled in the Westminster sexual harassment scandal last night as Downing Street officials revealed that the prime minister gets weekly updates about the sexual indiscretions of Conservative MPs — but has allowed ministers accused of wrongdoing to serve in her cabinet.

 

And of course all previous governments, the Labor MP's, the Liberal MP's and the minor party MP's are all upstanding righteous citizens who've never had such terrible dalliances!

Politicians have been some of the most immoral people for centuries. And disgustingly, seem to get away with criminal as well as depraved activities.

 

And your source of this particular snippet?

 

 

 

 

[baboon]

2 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

And of course all previous governments, the Labor MP's, the Liberal MP's and the minor party MP's are all upstanding righteous citizens who've never had such terrible dalliances!

Politicians have been some of the most immoral people for centuries. And disgustingly, seem to get away with criminal as well as depraved activities.

 

And your source of this particular snippet?

 

 

 

 

The Times.

[RuamRudy]

1 minute ago, Baerboxer said:

 

And of course all previous governments, the Labor MP's, the Liberal MP's and the minor party MP's are all upstanding righteous citizens who've never had such terrible dalliances!

Politicians have been some of the most immoral people for centuries. And disgustingly, seem to get away with criminal as well as depraved activities.

 

And your source of this particular snippet?

See the emboldened words 'pay-wall' in my post? If you hover your cursor over it and click - I am confident all will be revealed (apart for the paragraphs that are behind the pay-wall).

 

I am happy to call out hypocrisy in all its guises - although I must confess to a particular frisson of enjoyment when it applies to Tories.

[RuamRudy]

11 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

But not anything to do with this topic though.

 

But why miss a chance to slag off and make political commentary instead of staying on topic?

Are you feeling ok? I made a comparison between the run of bad news that is besetting our current government and the horrendously timed sequence of events that befell John Major's. This was expanded upon by several other posters - including yourself! - then you decide to roll back and tell me that I am being opportunistically off topic? You are clearly the opportunist!

[Kadilo]

21 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Unfortunately behind a pay-wall, but the tantalisingly labeled 'In and Out' report is apparently sent to the PM on a regular basis:

 

Theresa May allows ‘serial sex pests’ to serve in her cabinet

 

Theresa May was embroiled in the Westminster sexual harassment scandal last night as Downing Street officials revealed that the prime minister gets weekly updates about the sexual indiscretions of Conservative MPs — but has allowed ministers accused of wrongdoing to serve in her cabinet.

And herein lies the real story. This "sugar tits" enquiry is just an excuse for May to start acting because she knows the real story is about to emerge of current ministers involved in wrongdoings being allowed to serve. 

She is panicking and this could well be the final nail. Every newspapaer is leading on this today and I'm sure Corbyn is sharpening the knife too. 

Edited October 30, 2017 by Kadilo

[vogie]

43 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Sorry, my mistake - everything is going swimmingly for Theresa and her team. 

And of course you are not biased against the conservatives in any way are you RR, if Theresa May offered to rebuild Hadrians Wall and get the english tax payer to pay for it I suspect you'd find fault. ?

Edited October 30, 2017 by vogie

[blazes]

How times have changed:

 

1.

John Profumo (1963?) [Minister of War!!] lied to the Commons about his sex with the prostitute Christine Keeler.  Why? Cos she was also screwing a guy from the Soviet Embassy!!

But it was the lie to the House of Commons that caused the resignation.

 

2. Mid-1970s.  Jeremy Thorpe, Leader of the Liberal Party, involved in the attempt to murder a blackmailer, Norman Scott, over a homosexual affair that Scott and Thorpe had in the 1960s.

Thorpe resigned the leadership (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorpe_affair

[owl sees all]

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Therein lies the difference between the UK and the US. In the UKs politics you get a secretary to buy a couple of dildos and you face the sack. In the US you can boast about grabbing women by the pussy and get elected President.

The UK has been around for a long time. The US is still finding its feet. Only been going for a few years.

[RichardColeman]

He was probably a whip trying to round up some votes and told her go out and buy some dildos for me !