I was subjected to death threats after reporting peer, says MP
Woman targeted for anti-gay abuse by shamed Maginnis calls for his expulsion from Lords
AN MP found to be the target of abuse and bullying by Lord Maginnis has told how she received death threats from others after complaining about his behaviour.
Hannah Bardell, who is gay, believes the former Ulster Unionist MP should be expelled from the House of Lords.
She was speaking after the peers’ standards watchdog recommended Lord Maginnis be suspended from the Lords for at least 18 months for bullying and harassment of three MPS and a security guard.
The recommendation from the Lords Conduct Committee follows an investigation into his treatment of a parliamentary security officer, Ms Bardell, Luke Pollard and Toby Perkins.
The committee suggested the suspension could be extended if he does not undergo training and change his ways.
Lord Maginnis, an independent unionist peer, said he was “not pleased” by the findings and recommendations in the report, which will go before his counterparts in the Lords for ratification.
He said he would not participate in behavioural training — his ban could be extended if he doesn’t.
The 83-year-old said, given his age, he did not plan 18 months in advance.
But Ms Bardell, a Scottish National Party MP, said he should never be allowed to return to the Upper House.
“Any normal employer in any normal country would sack someone for this behaviour,” Ms Bardell told the Belfast Telegraph, though she added the suspension was a “serious sanction”.
Fellow complainant, Conservative MP Perkins, said Lord Maginnis is “simply unable to prevent revealing, in an offensive way, his views on homosexuality”.
Ms Bardell was the target of abusive comments by Lord Maginnis after she intervened as the peer berated a parliamentary security officer.
The report recommends a suspension of 18 months, but that it should be extended if he does not take part in the “behaviour change” course, which the peer described as “ridiculous”. Ms Bardell described the incidents investigated and the months after as “a grim affair” that included receiving “death threats earlier this year”. These did not come from Lord Maginnis.
She was also criticised for naming Lord Maginnis in the House of Commons following the incident with the security officer.
“The extent of Lord Maginnis’s behaviour is now laid bare for all to read and, my goodness, is it a worrying and depressing read,” the MP added.
“That someone who is in a position of such power and influence and who is a lawmaker can think it appropriate to behave in such a manner is truly astonishing.”
She said the incident “clearly had a very profound and negative impact” on Christian Bombolo, the security officer. An interview with an unrepentant Lord Maginnis yesterday made her “blood run cold”.
But Lord Maginnis said: “I’m very cross. The reality is that this was a very minor incident.”
The investigation was sparked after Lord Maginnis was accused of being “verbally abusive” to Mr Bombolo when asked to show his parliamentary pass in January. The exchange was witnessed by Ms Bardell.
She complained that when she attempted to intervene she was treated “rudely and aggressively” by Lord Maginnis, who later used “homophobic and derogatory language about her” in comments to the media.
The peer was also investigated for using homophobic language in relation to Mr Pollard in February after the Labour MP’S chairing of a meeting.
Mr Perkins’ complaint related to a conversation in March in which Lord Maginnis, referring to Ms Bardell and Mr Pollard, used language that was “homophobic, aggressive and disrespectful”.
‘The extent of Lord Maginnis’s behaviour is now laid bare for all to read and, my goodness, is it a worrying and depressing read’