A shadow minister has warned that the presence of predators in Westminster has made the Commons “the most unprofessional workplace” he has ever encountered.
Luke Pollard, an MP, stated that abuse in the core of politics is being ignored to the detriment of victims.
The shadow minister for the armed forces also criticized the behavior of MPs in the lower chamber, which he described as a “bear pit” where individuals are “deliberately shouted down.”
Westminster has been rocked by parliamentary abuse scandals in recent months.
Mr. Pollard, who recently announced he would be temporarily withdrawing from politics after being diagnosed with skin cancer, told GB News, “I do not believe Westminster is a safe place to work, especially for many of the young staff members employed by MPs.”
“We are aware that there are predators in the Westminster area who are sometimes tolerated or ignored, and I want to see that rectified.
“Westminster should represent the finest of our nation. It should be a position that people aspire to attain in order to alter the world from a position of power. And I’m afraid I sometimes feel that Westminster is failing the rest of the country.”
I think we’ve failed too many victims due to our weak system. No culture challenges it.
“I believe the Commons to be the least professional workplace in which I have ever labored. Over many decades, the Chamber has been permitted to deteriorate into a bear pit where people are intentionally shouted down and insulted, and this is what passes for mature political debates. Our policies are defective in general.”
Mr. Pollard, who is openly homosexual, also described the hostility he has encountered outside of Westminster as a politician.
The office of his constituents has been vandalized twice, including once with offensive graffiti.
On Valentine’s Day, he also received harassment after posting a photo of himself and his companion on social media.
Mr. Pollard told the news outlet, “I believe when you’re confronted with hatred – and there’s a lot of hatred in politics and our society as a whole right now – you have the option of responding with more hatred, more fury, more division, or more energy. However, this only produces more heat and no additional illumination.”