This week, as politicians debated a proposal to exclude MPs from parliament if they have been arrested for a serious offence (rather than charged) Labour MP Jess Phillips told the Commons she had spoken to “two women in just one day who told her they’d been raped by MPs”.

“Today, just on this one day, I have spoken to two women who were raped by members of this parliament; that’s a fairly standard day for me,” shared Phillips, the MP for Birmingham Yardley and former shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding. 

Her comments were prompted by an initial House of Commons Commission proposal that suggested a risk assessment would take place on whether an MP should be barred if they were arrested on suspicion of committing a violent or sexual offence. The proposal was later revised so the threshold for a ban was at the point of charge.

MPs have previously only been prevented from attending the parliamentary estate by voluntary arrangements with their own party under such circumstances. However, on Monday night MPs voted 170 to 169 – a majority of one – in favour of a proposal to revert to the threshold being an arrest.

Continuing in an emotional plea backing reforms to current rules, Phillips said: “I notice these are not the people who have so far been mentioned much today and some of them told me what they wanted me to say. Exclusion at the point of charge sends a clear message to victims that not only will we not investigate unless a victim goes to the police but we won’t act unless they’re charged, which happens in less than 1% of cases. ‘So what’s the point?’ was essentially what this victim said to me.

“I’m going to stand here and speak up for them because every single one of them wishes for this to be on arrest. The women I spoke to today do not feel safe, and they told me to come and say that.”

The vote proved controversial, with defence secretary Grant Shapps admitting: “For me, it does seem to be just on the wrong side of natural justice.” Jacob Rees-Mogg also told Sky News that the proposal was a “power grab” as some Tory MPs complained that the new rule would punish potentially innocent people. 

But following the 2018 ‘Pestminster’ scandal in the wake of #MeToo, it’s clear that female politicians in Britain still face a toxic culture of misogyny and abuse. Last year, a report from the Fawcett Society claimed politicians work in an environment that is “more abusive than inclusive” and found that over two-thirds of female MPs have witnessed sexist behaviour in parliament in the last five years.

Images: Getty