In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Dowden said the Tories need to ensure their candidate list 'reflects the fact that half the population are women'.īusiness Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng today denied there was a 'culture of misogyny' in Parliament. He blamed bad behaviour on 'a few bad apples' and told Sky News: 'Generally, most MPs have a sense of responsibility. In some instances people do act irresponsibly.'Īnd he said shutting Parliament's bars to tackle sexual misconduct and sleaze would be 'excessively puritanical'.Ī former Conservative minister warned a newly elected Scottish MP which 'predatory' men to avoid in Parliament.Īnum Qaisar, who was elected SNP MP for Airdrie and Shotts in May 2021, said she was told by opposition MPs which men to avoid in Parliament. She told Sky News that a former Conservative minister approached her at a parliamentary event after noticing she was uncomfortable with a male politician being 'too cavalier'. She said: 'Despite the fact we have this horrific, toxic culture in Westminster, it's women looking after women. 'Since I joined Parliament, I've been taken aside by female MPs to warn me about some male MPs who say ''Actually, Anum, you're probably better off staying away from X, Y and Z''. 'In my situation, I was at a parliamentary event and a certain male MP made a beeline for me.
