Rape culture in Westminster

[AutumnOrange]

Watching GMB this morning. They were talking about the alleged rape by a Tory MP. A guest speaker (can’t remember her name - she is Scottish) said the rape culture in Westminster is increasing (Against women and also young men) as is alcohol and drugs. Don’t even know why I am posting this. But what the fuck is going on in the very place that the people we assume to lead by example (I know, I know) and nothing is being done. Why haven’t any decent MP (assuming there is one!) blown the whistle?
it was just the blase way this guest speaker said it. And that it is getting worse. Even the male guest speaker (can’t remember his name either) agreed with her. Just needed to rant.

When your leader (CEO, Headteacher, whatever) demonstrates very clearly by his actions that the law doesn't apply to him, that's seen as a green light to act however they like to the potential crooks, liars and - especially - sexual predators.

And yet for women and people who believe in biology the alternatives actively undermine reality by believing the Stonewall guff.

This is the worst political landscape I can remember.

I agree. I don’t know why this particular tv conversation got to me this morning. Maybe because it was just so casual and blasé. It should be front page stuff! Why is nobody whistle blowing? It has left me stunned to be honest.

When your leader (CEO, Headteacher, whatever) demonstrates very clearly by his actions that the law doesn't apply to him, that's seen as a green light to act however they like to the potential crooks, liars and - especially - sexual predators.

He did bring up the definition of a woman in PMQs yesterday, so maybe it's best just to concentrate on the bigger picture and not be distracted.* *

The allegations date back to a time when Tony Blair was Prime Minister, so it's a bit of a stretch to blame the current leader for allegations dating back 20 years.

There is a current vetting problem, because a lot of politicians (from all parties) are going to court for various offences.

I work there, and have done for almost 20 years. I don't feel unsafe personally, but it doesn't feel nice.

Again, it was just the way this woman casually mentioned how much it had increased that shocked me. Likewise the drinking and drug culture. The presenters weren’t up in arms about what she said. It’s like they all know and nobody is doing anything because everybody accepts it.

In what way doesn’t it feel nice?

Did she say anything more? "Rape culture" is a pretty nebulous term, what did she mean materially?

There is a strong link between excessive drinking and drug use and sexual assault, so that might have a lot to do with it.

I don't know. I've been there so long that it's my job, it's where I go, I do what I need to do, and I go home. It's just not nice being aware of harassment, bullying, misconduct of all kinds, accusations of real unpleasantness going on around people who work there. I don't know if the drinking has got worse, I never really got involved. And I don't know anybody directly affected by the really awful behaviour reported, but you hear rumours. I hold the institution itself in high regard, and it should be better than this.

(I'm also being really careful what I say.)

Came here to ask the same question. Let's not be distracted by trifling matters of rape as long as Boris Johnson is saying what pleases you on GC matters.

Fucking hell.

Sometime I really need to check if this is the feminism section of MN.

Has it got worse or are people more aware/less accepting? Look at TV programmes from 40 years ago and sexual/racial harassment is laughed about.

I haven’t heard much but there was a recent piece on radio after the latest Labour MP was involved

they talked about lacking the usual HR structures of other work environments

It made me think just how bad my sector would have been for me if no threat of HR

I worked in a very sexist culture, which also had lots of alcohol and drugs too

it wasn’t fixed though, men said revolting things about females including clients

This is an imteresting point and it puts me in mind of something.

Recently I was talking to a male colleague and he was complaining about how we need to be more sensitive and careful at work (I know, right!)

The example he gave me was a man who used to work with, patted female colleagues on the bottom, and in his words, the women enjoyed it. In his view the women enjoyed it because they laughed and didn't complain.

You can imagine the response I gave!
But my main point was, had these women complained, nothing would have been done. And worse still, thier careers, reputations etc would have been ripped apart.
Whilst it's not perfect now, women can complain and we can openly discuss sexual harassment at work.

I mean the way I look at it mysoginistic Eton boys club, grow up together, stick together, get jobs together, so the old boys club still runs. The same attitudes, the same behaviour. It's ingrained.

If parliament stopped being a fucking buddy buddy, nod, nod secret handshake boys club things might change.

But it never will, our prominent politicians are just generational politicians all privately educated and all know the secret handshake.

The culture hasn't changed over 40 years because they a re all just carbon copies of the generations before them.

I’m sure it’s terrible as you say Objection

Labour also need to clean up their act

amp.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/04/labour-women-urge-party-not-to-use-ndas-for-sexual-harassment-allegations

The post about PMQs is someone trying to be deliberately provocative, to get at GC feminists. I'm not even sure I've ever seen them post in this section before.

Your reaction is exactly what they want.

This rape case was against a man; I would bet my home on it.

On this subject, noted superforecaster (sarcasm) Dominic Cummings is suddenly coming out of the woodwork to comment on how many Tory MPs were dangerous to women. I'm sure he's not motivated by any desire to drum up views of his blog, which he keeps behind a paywall.

What did he do about this at the time, I hear you ask? Sounds like the square root of fuck all.

Disgruntled Dominic

Why aren't the police hauling him in? He's either a witness or an accessory to serious criminal behaviour.

But no, having a drink in No.10s garden is serious. Endangering women is meh.

Cummings is best kept behind a paywall blog and not near no 10

Just rewatched the segment.
it was Ayesha Hazarika who said the following (verbatim)
‘Really rotten culture in Westminster. A culture of sexual harassment now more serious sexual violence and it’s not just young women it’s young men too. I think we are beginning to see a rape culture at Westminster. I think there is monstrous abuse of power mainly from men who come into politics with a huge sense of entitlement...so much abuse of power. There is a massive problem with alcohol, a growing problem with drugs. There is a feeling of impunity that people can behave like this and get away with it. It has got to change’
Then the presenters just casually moved on to the next segment.
I don’t know why I am surprised because I know it’s a dirty place but where are the good MPs who should be calling this shit out? Why aren’t the good MPs (or any other good people who work at Westminster) shouting this from the roof tops?
It was my dream when younger to go into politics- glad I dodged that bullet.

Did she say anything more? "Rape culture" is a pretty nebulous term, what did she mean materially?

Exactly.

I'm suspicious of this whole trend towards appending the word "culture" to anything people don't like, to make it sound more pervasive. Some men commit rape. Most don't. If the number of MPs who do is increasing then that's a serious problem and we'd want to know why. But is it? Nothing here tells us anything about that.

There is a strong link between excessive drinking and drug use and sexual assault, so that might have a lot to do with it.

Sure, but is the amount of escessive drinking and drug use increasing? Who knows.