Why we must talk about sexual harassment
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| Sir Michael Fallon: apologised for behaviour not befitting of a representative of the Armed Forces |
Firstly, Mark Garnier - a junior minister at the Department of Trade - admitted asking his secretary to buy sex toys and referring to her as "sugar t*ts" - a remark he claims was a joke referencing Gavin & Stacey. Next, the pro-family former minister, Stephen Crabb, admitted (and apologised for) sexting a young woman he had interviewed for a job. Crabb has some form on this, having resigned as work and pensions secretary last year when a similar behaviour came to light. Thirdly, but surely not finally, defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon has resigned following revelations that fifteen years ago he touched Julia Hartley-Brewer's knee during a radio interview.
This, and the response to it so far, is concerning for many reasons. It underlines the fact that there is a culture at Westminster that needs to be challenged - a culture of accepting sexual harassment not only as inevitable but defensible. It highlights the difficulties victims of harassment and abuse have in coming forward, and being taken seriously if they do. It demonstrates that actions being taken by political parties to combat this kind of thing are, at least in some key respects, falling short. But perhaps most tellingly, the media reaction speaks loudest: its simplistic narrative makes for juicy headlines but does little to foster a mature conversation on tackling the underlying problem.
There is nothing surprising in anything that has come to light. The allegations made about Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard in 2013 led to the party instigating the Morrissey Inquiry, which made several recommendations in relation to preventing bullying and harassment and in respect of addressing complaints. It was obvious then, and it remains obvious now, that what has become public knowledge is simply the tip of the iceberg.
And that is the reason why neither the Liberal Democrats, Labour or the SNP can afford to take the moral high ground on this one. Parliament is an enormous glass house and, with nobody quite sure who will be next, no-one's keen to be throwing any stones. We cannot afford to gloat at the Conservatives' misfortunes, because the toxic culture transcends party politics. Indeed, the recent Weinsten revelations suggest that this isn't an issue confined to politics, but one of powerful individuals abusing their positions.
What is needed is real and lasting change, which will come from challenging the status quo in much the way that the Morrissey Report attempted. I actually gave evidence to that report - in fact, I was the only non-female to do so (what does that say?). I gave evidence of one incident when I was interviewing a peer; that peer touched me in ways that were unwelcome and propositioned me. I also described another situation I witnessed in which a male was sexually harassed in the Lords by a researcher. I know from other people that these experiences are far from isolated. When I reported them (first to the relevant party, then to Helena Morrissey) it was from a motivation of wanting to end this unacceptable reality. No-one should go to a place of work and be subjected to this kind of thing, but if they do then their complaints should be taken seriously and appropriately responded to.
Yes, it's a huge problem. Those bleating about "political correctness gone mad" are missing the point, or failing to understand it. We need to talk about it, to have a sensible discussion on the issue of consent, that much is obvious...but what we shouldn't do is what the media have done in the last few days. What we have seen is not the beginning of an informed and responsible conversation, but needlessly demonising individuals in such a way that political parties are likely to retreat into defensive mode rather than engage constructively.
Let's consider Michael Fallon. Aside from revealing who he finds attractive, what does this incident tell us? It's difficult to accept the notion that he's resigned purely on the basis of having touched someone's knee in 2002. As Hartley-Brewer herself comments, "If this is over 'kneegate' - him touching my knee 15 years ago and me not having any issue with it today - this is the most insane, absurd and ridiculous resignation of a Cabinet minister ever. However, I don't think that is the reason." And neither do I. But to read the tabloid press that's exactly what you would think. And so sections of the media make complainants look ridiculous, diminish the seriousness of the problem and suggest that Westminster culture is no controlled so much by the politically-correct "liberal elite" that powerful ministers must quit over the slightest hint of sexual impropriety. The narrative is not only unhelpful; it is destructive and merely reinforces exiting misconceptions.
Fallon's own apology was also revealing. He admitted in a letter to the Prime Minister that he had "in the past...fallen below the high standards that we require of the Armed Forces that I have the honour to represent." That is a hugely significant statement. In Fallon's mind, his actions were not befitting of someone representing the Armed Services, but presumably would be perfectly acceptable for any other minister. He made no mention of such actions falling below parliamentary standards - something that again underlines the challenge faced by those who want to see real change in Westminster and hints at his actions being acceptable for an MP. So far, he hasn't actually apologised either - make what you will of that.
A former Liberal Democrat activist, Kavya Kaushik, yesterday took to twitter to remind us not only of how she was touched up by a Lib Dem peer but also what the response was. This did not happen fifteen years ago but much more recently. Her description of the culture of acceptance and cover-up is one that some of us recognise - and it's that we must focus on, rather than calling for a few ministerial casualties. It's not about Fallon, or Crabb, or Garnier - as Kavya Kaushik herself says, it's a question "of politics and power".
The media's reaction to these recent admissions has been to gleefully speculate about what other skeletons may be in closets, and already we are hearing talk of whips keeping books with details of individuals' misdemeanours, lists of who is having an affair with whom, and so on. Of course, the media loves gossip, but this is not how we should respond to accusations and admissions of sexual harassment. Precisely what is not required is something similar to the early 1990s when the tabloid press could be guaranteed to be on hand to expose the personal lives of MPs, kink-shaming, revealing affairs and the like. That is not in the public interest. People have affairs and relationships with work colleagues; what consenting adults do is their business and it is diminishing the problems of sexual assault, harassment and bullying when the connection with consenting arrangements is made.
Neither is what we saw on Newsnight last night. Under the headline "the problem with men", the BBC news programme responded to female concerns about unwanted attention by asking men how they felt about it all. The responses were as one might expect. A debate about oppression was reduced to an exercise in gender stereotyping and giving middle-aged men a platform on which to discuss women. How does this actually help move us forward? This is precisely how not to talk about sexual harassment and only shows what institutional barriers remain.
In purely political environments, almost all sexual harassment I have witnessed or been informed about has been committed by men. Not all victims, however, have been women - and not all of this takes place in the corridors of power. Local parties and council chambers have also provided environments in which harassment has been allowed to happen and, at times, be covered up. So while not denying the sexualised culture so many who work in Parliament are more than familiar with - one which gives a sense of entitlement to what still remains largely an old boys' network - we also have to realise the problem is much further-reaching than the Westminster bubble and that harassment happens to people of all genders, by people of all genders. The Morrissey Report confirmed this, although many of the sounds recommendations it made are yet to become widely known within the party, let alone wider society - a particular challenge to my own party.
And this is ultimately where the conversation has gone wrong. It needs to take in account the wider picture. This is not simply a political scandal. This is not about three senior Tories who have been caught out. This is not just about Westminster. And it's not about a few nasty men. Harassment is society's problem and it's society that must take responsibility for challenging it, rather than simply pointing fingers at a few MPs.
Of course, the media is not interested in the wider picture. But if we are to have the mature, purposeful and responsible conversation the situation demands then that is where we must start from. It will mean challenging sexual harassment wherever we see it - whether that is in Westminster, in local politics or in the workplace. What Ruth Davidson describes as "locker room culture" isn't an exclusively Westminster phenomenon. So much more sexual assault and harassment occurs in everyday situations and while the tabloids might not be interested in a senior nurse being suggestive with a student, or a worker sexually touching a colleague, society should be. In the workplace, power relationships may be very different in nature to those in Westminster and while harassment will inevitably be far more common in male-dominated environments my experience of the working in the NHS proved that women too can be guilty of sexual harassment. If we are permissive or dismissive about such things, then we are hypocritical to call out Fallon, Crabb or Garnier. We are also potentially indirectly responsible for reinforcing abuses of power, or for worsening the mental health problems many victims struggle with as a result.
We have to talk about this, and do it properly - because the well-being of society depends on it. The human costs of not doing so are also becoming increasingly obvious. What kind of society do we want to live in? If it's a tolerant, open, inclusive society in which every individual is valued for who they are, empowered to be themselves and have control over their lives and their bodies...then doing nothing is not an option.
Theresa May's call for an all-party inquiry is welcome, as is Caroline Lucas's urging that all MPs should be given mandatory training. Political parties must respond to this, and will hopefully do so through open engagement rather than top-down diktats. The political dialogue must be open to all members, thoroughly democratic and motivated by a desire to ensure all people associated with the party have power over their own lives. But we must go further. Society too needs to have the same discussion.
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