Gradually over the decades social attitudes to women have advanced beyond all recognition and their true value as the equals, in many cases and circumstances the superiors, to men is now almost universally accepted. Of course there are entrenched pockets of resistance in all walks of life, Hollywood for example, but bit by bit the best practices of progressive thinkers are breaking down the barriers. Except in Parliament and the Westminster Village. Here there has for decades been a culture of misogyny, exploitation and abuse, at best laddish and at worst criminal. It has been entrenched, protected, denied, nurtured and seemingly in place forever. Until suddenly the lid of this cauldron of all that is worst of such a system, blew off.
Now there is little short of chaos. Impeccable figures of the political establishment have toppled form ‘steady and a safe pair of hands’ to ‘disgusting’ almost overnight. The Cabinet seems to be engaged in a war between male and female members to add to the other war between hard and soft Brexiteers, resignations and rumours come thick and fast, government is impaired, all parties are caught up and nobody knows what will happen next. Like all revolutions this one is unpredictable and out of control.
Setting down a sensible way forward would for this blog be a waste of time at this stage. But some warnings are due. First, now the lid has blown, we must let everything flow. Allegations, rumours, crimes, all have to be set out to clear the fetid atmosphere and allow reforms to be put in place. Now is not the time to try and shut the issues down.
Second there must be distinction between three levels of behaviour; the criminal, which is for the police, the exploitative or abusive which is for some form of parliamentary discipline; and the vulgar, laddish and inappropriate, which should be subject to destruction by publicity.
Above all there has to be an impartial system to listen, mend and protect victims, who must know beyond all doubt that a genuine complaint cannot prejudice or in any way adversely affect their status, their prospects or their ambitions.