Conservative MP Peter Bone faces six-week suspension over bullying and sexual misconduct findings

Conservative MP Peter Bone should be suspended for six weeks after being found to have bullied and committed an act of sexual misconduct, a panel has recommended.

The punishment for Mr Bone, the member for Wellingborough in Northamptonshire since 2005, has been suggested by Parliament’s Independent Expert Panel.

A report by the watchdog said he “committed many varied acts of bullying and one act of sexual misconduct” against a member of his staff more than 10 years ago.

The group recommended a suspension from the Commons for six weeks which, if approved, could see a recall petition triggered.

Five allegations were made in October 2021, with the complainant having had a complaint to then-prime minister Theresa May in 2017 unresolved, according to the IEP report.

Mr Bone said the allegations are “false and untrue” and “without foundation” as he vowed to continue representing his constituents.

The complaints included four allegations of bullying, saying Mr Bone:

– “Verbally belittled, ridiculed, abused and humiliated” his employee;

– “Repeatedly physically struck and threw things” at the victim, including hitting them with his hand or an object;

– Imposed an “unwanted and humiliating ritual” on the employee when the MP was unhappy with their work;

– Ostracised the complainant following an incident on a work trip.

The complainant also alleged that Mr Bone had “repeatedly pressurised” the member of staff to give him a massage in the office and, on a work trip abroad, indecently exposed himself to the complainant in a hotel room.

• Voters on the streets of Wellingborough have their say on the watchdog's findings against Peter Bone

Following an investigation, the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner upheld all four allegations of bullying and the allegation of sexual misconduct relating to the incident on the work trip. However, he found the demands for massages were bullying, not sexual misconduct.

Mr Bone appealed against the decision, which was then upheld by a sub-panel of the IEP, which described it as a “serious case of misconduct” including “a deliberate and conscious abuse of power using a sexual mechanism”.

The sub-panel said: “The bullying involved violence, shouting and swearing, mocking, belittling and humiliating behaviour, and ostracism. It was often in front of others…The respondent specifically targeted the complainant.”

In his response to the IEP’s findings, Mr Bone said: “As I have maintained throughout these proceedings, none of the misconduct allegations against me ever took place. They are false and untrue claims. They are without foundation.”

He said the complainant had not raised the issues during their employment and said ICGS rules meant he could not “detail my views on the huge inconsistencies and lack of evidence in the allegations”.

Mr Bone said: “I can say that the allegations are the only allegations at all made against me throughout my work as an MP and beyond. Witness statements were submitted from 10 employees (current and former) of the highest integrity, testifying to the professional, accommodating and friendly place my office is to work.”

Claiming the ICGS investigation was “procedurally unfair”, he said he is “discussing with lawyers what action could and should be taken”.

According to the IEP’s report, the complainant’s father wrote to then-prime minister David Cameron in December 2015 to complain about Mr Bone’s conduct, which he had learned of around a year earlier.

The complainant then submitted a formal complaint to Mr Cameron’s successor, Ms May, in September 2017 and the Conservative Party began an investigation, which had still not been resolved by August 2022.

Downing Street said Rishi Sunak has “been clear about the importance of integrity, professionalism and accountability being core values at the heart of Government”.

“He wants those standards to be rigorously upheld,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said, facing questions over the level of sleaze allegations MPs have faced.

Mr Bone will now face a vote in the Commons on the six-week suspension recommended by the IEP report, with the Standards Committee required to produce a report formally recommending the suspension within three sitting days in order to trigger the vote.

If his suspension is approved, it will trigger a recall petition that could lead to a by-election in Mr Bone’s Wellingborough constituency, where he has a majority of 18,540.

The Conservatives are yet to comment on whether they will be removing the whip from Mr Bone.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “This case was investigated by CCHQ (Conservative Campaign Headquarters), however the complainant withdrew from the process before the case was heard.”

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know