Starmer said the real change had to be “guided and shaped from the top” when asked about new allegations of abusive and sexual behavior by lawmakers following the resignation of Conservative supporter Neil Parish for watching pornography in the House of Commons. The Labor leader said Downing Street’s instinct in a number of previous cases of misconduct was either to try to ignore the issue or to delay any vigorous action. “What we have seen from this government, repeatedly, is when one of their people is facing a difficulty, a problem, they have done something they should not have done, whether it is Owen Patterson or the Wakefield MP. [Imran Ahmad Khan]or Neil Parish, their first instinct is to push it into the long grass, to hide what’s going on, “Starmer told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday. “This is a political problem, because a fish is rotting from the head, and there must be political leadership in that as well. “And we have not seen that yet from the Conservative party.” Speaking earlier on the show, Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, dismissed the idea that there was a broader issue of standards in Westminster. “I do not think there is a culture of bigotry,” he said. “I think the problem we have is that people are working in a really intense environment. There are many hours, and I think in general, most people know their limits, they know how to act with respect. “But there are some cases where people do not act, honestly, to the highest standards.” Starmer dismissed the allegations, saying “those involved in this type of activity, whether it’s comments about Angela Rayner or pornography in the House of Commons, should be held accountable.” However, neither Starmer nor Kwarteng had any specific proposals on how things could be improved, other than the agreement that one possibility could be a proposal by President Lindsay Hoyle to end the current system with which Members directly employ. Kwarteng rejected the Conservative MP’s idea that all women candidates should improve their gender balance, saying he had “never been a supporter of quotas”. He also rejected the idea of closing bars in parliament: “No, not everything should be closed, I do not think we should have an overly puritanical strict regime in this regard.” Speaking on Ridge, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said that in addition to considering Hoyle’s idea of hiring MPs, the existing independent grievance system for parliamentary workers should be accelerated. Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST Hoyle’s idea would mean a major overhaul of work practices in Westminster. Writing to the Observer, Hoyle said: “I think it’s time for us to review our work practices, and especially if it’s right for individual MPs to be the employers of their staff. Should someone else – or an external body – employ the staff, provided that the Member has the right to choose it? “In my opinion, it is time to look at radical action and review structures and procedures that could make a difference. Some serious complaints have been made and we need to address them urgently. It is imperative that we do the right thing for the staff and the MPs as well. “
