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Boris Johnson has participated in a training session for MPs on sexual harassment and bullying, calling it “very informative”.
The course, called Value All, was made mandatory for MPs and their peers last year following allegations of abuse and the so-called “Pestminster” scandal.
The prime minister participated in the two-hour session last Thursday with a group of MPs and colleagues using the Teams video conferencing network.
Boris Johnson with his fiancee and young son. Photo: Carrie Symonds
High-ranking politicians in the group with Johnson included Attorney General Suella Braverman and Chief Secretary of the Treasury Steve Barclay.
One of the class told Sky News: “I was quite surprised to see the prime minister participate, given everything he has to deal with at the moment: COVID, exams, etc.”
“We were all in vision during the two-hour session, so we could see him. He sat very still throughout the process, barely moving, but at the end he said ‘more informative, more informative.
The session began with a movie about an employer who began to behave inappropriately with a young female employee, and his behavior gradually worsened until he finally fired her.
Johnson participated in the session following allegations that two of his closest allies, Secretary of the Interior Priti Patel and controversial Downing Street aide Dominic cummings, they have intimidated public officials.
The prime minister had already agreed to participate on Thursday when a Freedom of Information request revealed last Wednesday that he was one of 159 MPs who had not done the training since it was created in May 2019.
Those 159 MPs included 140 Conservatives, seven Labor, five Democratic Unionists, four from the Scottish National Party, two from the SDLP, and one independent MP.
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Responding to FoI’s disclosure, a government spokesperson said: “All cabinet ministers have taken this important course or have arranged to do so.
“There is no place for intimidation or harassment in society and the government supports the significant progress that has already been made towards meaningful change in parliament, including the introduction of the Value All training.”
“This is a vital part of the larger Independent Complaints and Grievances Plan and is something that all members of the House must participate in.”
