In the wake of recent scandals, Parliament last year began a series of ‘Valuing Everyone’ training sessions to ‘combat bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct.’ In November they were made compulsory but last week it emerged that the Lords standards commissioner has launched investigations into around 60 members who are yet to take the training including none other than the much loved nonagenarian Betty Boothroyd, the former Commons speaker.
The news has sparked an outcry as Boothroyd is recovering from recent open heart surgery and at the grand age of 91 is an unlikely candidate for the next ‘Pestminster’ scandal. Broadcaster Timandra Harkness tweeted wryly that: ‘Surely, as an ex-Tiller Girl and veteran politician, she should be TEACHING that course?’ to which Boothroyd’s fellow peer Baroness Fox replied: ‘Having done the course, it would have been far more valuable if she had.’
Another peer Baroness Foster wrote that she had taken part in the two hour online course, claiming that she had: ‘‘Lost the will’ about 10mins in! I’ve done some courses in my time in industry but this was just something else ! Expensive, patronising nonsense; treated like children with typical stereotypical role play footage.
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in