Labour MP alleges she was sexually assaulted by colleague in Westminster

Labour MP Charlotte Nichols has made some shocking claims about how she was sexually assaulted by a colleague in Westminster.

The MP for Warrington North since 2019 made the revelations in an interview with Times Radio on International Women's Day.

"I have been assaulted by a colleague. Sexually assaulted. I do not want to go into the specifics of it. But suffice to say, this is still very much an ongoing issue in Westminster." She went on to add that she was also "repeatedly sexually propositioned by a Tory MP old enough to be my grandfather."

The MP explained how the incident took place in front of her colleagues during the middle of the workday.

Nichols was asked if she reported the incident to the Parliament's Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), to which she responded by saying that it was an "ongoing thing" and that she cannot go into the specifics.

She also revealed that she has received numerous threats over the years and even has a panic button in every room of her house just to ensure her family's safety. The MP later took to social media to reiterate her stance on the prevailing culture in Westminster.

"if you think what I said is awful and shouldn't be how Westminster functions, put your name forward for election, and together let's get the place cleaned up...," she said.

This is not the first time that an MP has been accused of misconduct. In 2018, a survey commissioned by MPs revealed that one in five people working in Parliament had been sexually assaulted between 2017 and 2018.

The parliament-wide survey spoke to around 1,377 workers and found that 39% of staff, MPs, and peers had experienced bullying and harassment of some sort. Of those reporting bullying or harassment, 45% were women and 35% were men.

In 2017, Conservative MP Chris Pincher was forced to resign from the Whips' Office following allegations over his conduct. His resignation came after several media reports claimed that he had been accused of making an unwanted pass at former Olympic rower and Conservative activist Alex Story.

A Conservative MP was arrested on suspicion of rape in 2020 as well. The police did not take action against the accused after a probe, and his identity was not revealed either.

Former Conservative MP Imran Ahmad Khan was sentenced last year to 18 months in prison for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy in 2008. He was expelled from the Conservative Party after being accused of groping a boy at a house in Staffordshire some 14 years ago. He then had to quit the House of Commons earlier this month after being convicted of the sexual assault charges following a trial at Southwark Crown Court.

Last year, a senior Conservative MP was accused of spiking the drinks of four men, including two MPs, with date-rape drugs.

One of his victims, who is also a Conservative MP, allegedly said that he woke up and found the accused licking his nipples. One of the other victims is a labour MP. Another accuser is the flatmate of another Tory MP, while a fourth alleged victim claimed that he had rebuffed the accused MP's advances, according to a report in The Mirror. The allegations in the case had first come to light in 2017.

In a similar case, Neil Parish stood down as the Conservative MP for Tiverton and Honiton after he admitted to having watched pornographic material in the Commons.

Recently, a report by The Times claimed that 56 MPs, including three cabinet ministers and two shadow cabinet ministers, were facing allegations of sexual misconduct. These incidents and reports are a testimony to the fact that much needs to be changed at the parliament.