A senior member of the British Labor Party will be suspended from Commons for two days due to bullying of staff.
Former Cabinet Minister Liam Byrne apologized for his actions against former employee David Barker, who worked for a member of Birmingham Hodge Hill.
Byrne was found to have expelled Barker between March 20 and the end of July 2020, including disabling Congress’s email account for a period of time.
The MP said he apologized, “I’m deeply sorry.”
The expulsion followed a dispute between Burn and Barker at a constituent office that urged the MP to send plaintiffs home.
The Kathryn Stone Standards Committee upheld a single allegation of bullying against Burn following complaints made under Congress’s Independent Grievance and Grievance Scheme (ICGS).
An independent expert committee that considered Burn’s punishment said the MP had abused his position of power.
The panel said he “tried to present his actions as a rational personnel strategy,” but “we disagree.”
“It was bullying,” the report said.
“He should have tackled cheating through proper disciplinary action, not by expelling the petitioner, as he currently accepts.”
The Commission should suspend Burn for two days, subject to Burn’s written apology to the petitioner, and take training and action to address the causes of his actions and weaknesses in the management of his office. I recommended that there be.
Byrne said he was “deeply sorry” and the situation was “a valuable lesson for me and I was determined to learn.”
In a statement, he said: As a result, I was unable to fulfill my obligations as an employer and the Code of Conduct of Congress.
“This constitutes an ostracism that is a violation of the Parliamentary Code of Conduct that I strongly support, and has caused my deeply sorry pain. I sincerely apologize to all concerned.
“I conclude that the panel acknowledged the genuine remorse I felt about the impact on the people involved, the steps I had already taken to prevent this from happening again, and what I was still doing. I am very grateful. Please do not act intentionally to delay the investigation.
“This is a valuable lesson for me, and I am determined to learn because I and my team are trying to provide the best possible service and voice to Hodge Hill residents.”
“The Labor Party fully supports the recommendations of this independent report, including the proposed sanctions,” a Labor spokesman said.
The GMB union, which represents Barker, called for a review of how MP staff are hired.
Jenny Symmons, chair of the GMB branch of the member staff, said:
“GMB welcomes the decision to support member complaints about serious bullying and harassment.
“But apology sanctions, training recommendations, and a two-day suspension are far below what is needed to deal with this type of abuse.”
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