In the last few weeks, stories of sexual harassment and abuse have swept through Westminster like a storm. Like many men in Parliament, I first thought the best policy would be to keep my head down and wait for it to pass. But I have now decided that’s not good enough. Male MPs need to stand up and be counted. We need to be vocal in our support of female colleagues who are pressing for a dramatic shift in the culture of Parliament. This is an opportunity to change politics for the better and we must seize it.
It takes courage for anyone to complain about sexual harassment or abuse. For most, the experience will have been profoundly disagreeable and humiliating, and the urge to try and forget about it almost overwhelming. All of the women (and men) who have made complaints deserve our respect and support. None of them deserves character assassination of the kind meted out to Kate Maltby by some parts of the media.
Those who are the subject of complaints must be judged innocent until they are proven guilty.
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