From Bullying to Indecent Exposure: The Legacy of Tory MP Peter Bone

Decay in Democracy: The Depravity and Scandal of Britain’s Political Class

The festering canker of sleaze and corruption that lies at the heart of our governing class has once again revealed itself. The latest ludicrous figure to be caught with his trousers down is the Tory MP Peter Bone, facing suspension for allegedly exposing himself to a young staffer. One is hardly surprised. Our so-called representatives increasingly resemble a sordid circus of degenerates and reprobates, making a mockery of the institutions they are sworn to uphold.

This latest absurd case – straight out of a Whitehall farce – simply confirms that Westminster has become a byword for decadence and decay. Like some dissipated Roman emperor, this ridiculous MP allegedly paraded around naked in front of his trembling employee. And these are the people who presume to govern over us? The very walls of Parliament reek of debauchery.

A damning report by an independent panel reveals a sinister saga of abuse and bullying, spanning three harrowing months in late 2012. Bone, has been found to have cruelly tormented his staff, both verbally and physically. He berated, belittled, and abused them, leaving a trail of humiliation in his wake.

As Bone protests his innocence, claiming the allegations to be ‘false and untrue,’ the panel, unswayed by his denials, relies on meticulous notes from the victim and Bone’s own feeble memory lapse to affirm the veracity of the claims.

Peter Bone now joins the ranks of Conservative MPs plagued by scandal. From Chris Pincher’s drunken escapades to Dominic Raab’s abuse of power, it’s a sordid saga that leaves the Conservative Party in dire straits.

This Whitehall farce – involves allegations that Bone repeatedly bullied and harassed the staffer, including shouting at him, striking him on the head, and demanding massages behind closed doors. The culmination of Bone’s disgraceful conduct occurred in Madrid, where he booked a shared room, Bone allegedly exposed his genitals to the staffer’s face while they shared a hotel room.

This grotesque episode constitutes sexual misconduct of the most egregious kind, a reprehensible violation that leaves no room for doubt.

In a stunning revelation, it emerges that concerns over Bone’s conduct were reported to David Cameron back in 2015, yet the party’s internal investigation failed to yield a resolution. Only in 2021 did the victim turn to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, triggering a damning six-week suspension recommendation. If upheld by MPs, it may force a byelection, challenging the Tory majority.

Analysing the Madrid incident, the IEP report said the staffer was “trapped” in the hotel with the MP, “not knowing what was going to happen next”.

Bone, indecently exposed himself to the complainant on an overseas trip, initially in the bathroom of the hotel room they were sharing and then in the bedroom

“Verbally belittled, ridiculed, abused and humiliated” the complainant

“Repeatedly physically struck and threw things at” the complainant

“Imposed an unwanted and humiliating ritual on” the complainant, including instructing, or physically forcing, the complainant to put his hands in his lap when Mr Bone was unhappy with him or his work

“Repeatedly pressurised [the complainant] to give him a massage in the office”

“In the first place, it is remarkable that a senior MP in his 60s should think it appropriate that he should be sharing a bedroom and bathroom with his employee, and an employee in his early 20s. That in itself rings alarm bells,” it said.

“But from an objective standpoint, the respondent’s conduct in exposing himself in this way, with his genitals close to this young employee’s face, in an unwanted intimate context in a confined space, was not mere nudity. It was indecent exposure. There can be no doubt about it.

“Once the complainant’s account was believed, which it was, the outcome was inevitable. Objectively, this was sexual misconduct: it was conduct of a sexual nature which was non-consensual; it was unwanted behaviour which was perceived by the complainant as sexual, and rightly so, and it was intimidating.”

In his evidence, the complainant said: “There was a sense of a king who expected people to serve him in all sorts of ways.”

A spokesperson for the party said: “This case was investigated by [Conservative Central Headquarters], however the complainant withdrew from the process before the case was heard.”

If MPs uphold the sanction of six weeks, Bone will face an automatic recall petition. If 10% of voters on Bone’s constituency of Wellingborough sign the petition, Bone will be recalled and a byelection will be held, at which he will be allowed to stand again.

In 2019, Bone won a 19,000 majority over Labour, enough in normal times to classify his seat as a safe Tory constituency. However, Labour recently overturned an even bigger majority in Selby & Ainsty and is hoping to repeat the feat twice this week in byelections in Tamworth and Mid-Bedfordshire.

Of course, it is not only the Conservatives who wallow in this swamp. The political class as a whole is mired in scandals of their own making. Sleaze oozes from every pore of our discredited democracy. These preening imposters claim to represent the British people, yet brazenly abuse their privileges.

No wonder the public holds Westminster in such contempt. This endless cavalcade of seedy narcissists and puffed-up nonentities brings shame on the nation. Our ancestors who fought for the right to vote had no idea that those we would be voting for were so depraved. They would be appalled at the mockery these disreputable goons have made of Parliament. As custodians of democracy, they have utterly failed. Their moral decay imperils us all.