Rhondda MP says he was ‘regularly touched up’ by older colleagues in parliament
Rhondda MP Chris Bryant says he was “regularly touched up” by older colleagues in parliament when he was first elected.
Bryant was selected as the candidate for the safe Labour in 2000 and took his place in the House of Commons the following year.
Mr Bryant told LBC Radio that after his election he was targeted by “older, senior” men but felt he could not report it because he did not want to “end up being part of the story”.
Bryant, The Commons Standards Committee chair, told LBC Radio: “I remember when I came in, in 2001, I was regularly touched up by older, senior gay – well, they weren’t out but – MPs.
“I never felt I was able to report it because you end up being part of the story, and that’s the last thing you want.
“And I think a lot of women have been through that.”
Bryant said he could think of four MPs but he did not name them, adding: “I was shocked at the time…none of them are out of course. I think that now if anybody would do that I would be absolutely robust.
“I would a call the person out immediately and I would make a complaint.”
Labour MP Chris Bryant shares how he was 'touched up' by four male MPs when he joined Parliament. @IainDale | @RhonddaBryant pic.twitter.com/QtIss4IGal
— LBC (@LBC) May 1, 2022
Earlier on Sunday, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle called for “radical” reform to working practices in parliament following a series of bullying and sexual misconduct offences involving MPs.
On Saturday, Neil Parish announced his resignation as MP for Tiverton and Honiton after two colleagues reported having seen him watching porn.
The farmer by trade, who chairs the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, said he first accidentally viewed porn in the Commons chamber after looking at tractors online, before later doing so deliberately.
Damning
It was the latest in a series of damning developments that have dogged the Commons in recent weeks.
Three Cabinet ministers are among 56 MPs reportedly facing allegations of sexual misconduct that have been referred to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme.
Senior Labour MP Liam Byrne is set to be suspended from the Commons for two days for bullying a member of staff.
David Warburton had the Conservative whip withdrawn after allegations of sexual harassment and cocaine use emerged and former Tory MP Imran Ahmad Khan resigned last week after being convicted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy.
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Normally I’d be sympathetic to Chris Bryant regarding any form is sexual abuse, but this is a man who as a sitting MP posted a picture of himself near naked on a seedy Gay website.
You sound Homphobic Y Cymro. You’re using that name and posting an offensive comment like that 😤 You should be ashamed of yourself! You’re implying he asked to be touched up. You’re disgusting!
Oh come off it. Bryant is attention seeking, craves any kind of publicity. Whether he’s gay or not isn’t the issue. He just a walking noise that won’t switch off.
I think he wishes he was touched up!
Chris Bryant was touched up so you must be mean Y Cymro.
Get back in your cave Homophobe!
The mother of all parliaments is turning into an agony aunt’s worst nightmare…get a grip!
The man who posed in his underpants for a gay website complains that his dignity and honour has been violated! Really?!!
My he may not have wanted to be the story when this happened, but he does seem to like being in the headlines right now. This is something like the 4th time in as many weeks
What’s with all the Homphobia!? If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all!
Well somebody is on a downvote tour. Chris Bryant has proven many times over recent weeks that he is a narcissist and an attention seeker. This is the man. It is his personality, not his sexuality. Apropos of nothing, other than other MPs getting attention he wheels out this little snippet. Did it happen? Probably. Politicians are generally vile. Should they be punished for it? Absolutely. Will they be? Absolutely not. Is it “homophobic” to challenge the headline courting of Chris Bryant? Well YOU seem to think so. YOU clearly want special treatment for gay men, not equal treatment. You… Read more »
Point well made. Multiple upticks but they are not allowed !
I’m shocked by how homophobic and lacking of empathy some of the coments are too. How is posing naked in a picture on a dating site justification for someone being sexualy harassed? How is that even comperable? Its the same mode of thinking as ‘they deserved it’, shocking that the same old destructive ignorance still prevails. Im assuming all the people that are haters have themself’s never been sexualy harassed? Are they assuming that if you have a naked picture on a dating site that you are fair game anywhere else? That unwanted sexual groping is ok if there is… Read more »
Before reading the comments I pretty much knew what I was going to see. A bit of unthinking homophobia. Not aggressively so, but still a bit cringe. A bit of criticism of his recent actions and some indignant posts accusing everyone of homophobia. OBVIOUSLY sexual assault in any form directed at anyone is abhorrent and we should support the victims of it and seek justice against its perpetrators. Same for Chris Bryant as for Jamie Wallis. But it is not a card that can be played to deflect criticism of later unrelated poor behaviour. Same for Chris Bryant as for… Read more »