A Labour MP is to be suspended from the House of Commons for two days after being found to have bullied a former assistant.
Liam Byrne abused his position of power and ostracized the staff member by ceasing personal contact with him for several months according to a disciplinary panel.
He also denied him access to his Parliamentary IT account in what was described to be a ‘significant misuse of power’ by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone.
A recommendation to suspend him has been put forward by the House’s Independent Expert Panel, which found a breach of Parliament’s bullying and harassment policy.
But they added: ‘We disagree. It was bullying. He should, as he now accepts, have tackled any misconduct through a proper disciplinary process not by ostracizing the complainant.’
The punishment is dependent on Byrne also making a written apology to the complainant.
He must undertake training and take action to address the causes of his behaviour and weaknesses in the management of his office.
Unity News Network (UNN) Staff Writer | To find out more details about our staff, please head to the About Us section on our website.
