A summit of British political leaders has been called to address a firestorm of allegations of sexual misconduct that has implicated dozens of MPs, including senior cabinet ministers in Conservative prime minister Theresa May’s government.
“I’ve written to all party leaders inviting them to a meeting early next week so we can discuss a common, transparent independent grievance procedure for all those working in parliament,” she said. “We have a duty to ensure that everyone coming here to contribute to public life is treated with respect.”
Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the main opposition Labour Party, and other opposition leaders have signed up to the cross-party initiative. But the adoption of new rules is unlikely to stem the tide of allegations.
News of the meeting came after a Labour activist said she was persuaded by senior figures not to report a rape by a fellow party member to the police. The ineffectiveness of parliamentary rules to avoid abuses by elected representatives has also been exposed by a leaked internal Conservative Party spreadsheet that listed sexual allegations against 40 MPs, some serving in the cabinet.
Many of those on the list have protested its inaccuracy.
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Deprived of a parliamentary majority in June’s general election, Mrs May has no room for error in handling the growing scandal. One of those facing accusations is Damian Green, the first secretary of state. He is not only her de facto deputy but a trusted ally who went to university with the prime minister and worked for her when she was a powerful home secretary.
The allegations have already highlighted the prime minister’s weak position. A House of Commons committee recommended a new and tougher grievance committee just six months ago but the findings were shelved. It has been suggested that the leaders feared a revolt by MPs in what now looks like a failure of judgement.
The scandal surrounding the sexual allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein triggered women around the world to share their own experiences of assault on social media using the hashtag #metoo. When female political journalists and activists in Britain joined in, the focus fell on allegedly misbehaving politicians.
The British parliament has not yet fully recovered from an expenses scandal that devastated public trust in politicians less than a decade ago. Political observers fear the effect of the current allegations will be even greater, since they revolve around the abuse of people not public funds.
“If politicians are found to have misused their authority for sexual purposes it is a serious breach of trust,” said Matthew D’Ancona, a conservative commentator. “The spreadsheet is still an important document. It symbolises the determination of women working at Westminster to draw a line in the sand, as their counterparts in Hollywood and theatre are doing.
“When a politician misuses his authority for sexual purposes, he not only demeans and damages the subject of his predations, he besmirches the public trust and brings the political system into disrepute. We do not send our representatives to Westminster to behave like superannuated rock stars searching for groupies.”
Institutional resistance to modern human resources practices has been strong among MPs, who run the hiring and firing in their own offices. David Cameron, the former Conservative prime minister, was rebuffed when he proposed a voluntary code of conduct that would have offered parliamentary staff extra protection from sexual harassment.
A confidential hotline for MPs' staff was set up as a safety net in 2014. A trade union representative said the advice line had not delivered effective support.
“There is no human resources department [in parliament]. The helpline can’t help you. It can offer advice but ultimately it will suggest you contact the MP directly,” said the parliamentary staff official.
To strengthen the whistle blowers' hotline, staff will now be instructed to report any allegations made to the police.
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
Which products are to be taxed?
To be taxed:
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Products excluded from the ‘sweetened drink’ category would contain at least 75 per cent milk in a ready-to-drink form or as a milk substitute, baby formula, follow-up formula or baby food, beverages consumed for medicinal use and special dietary needs determined as per GCC Standardisation Organisation rules
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
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Company%20Profile
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AS%20WE%20EXIST
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
The%20specs
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
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TEST SQUADS
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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