Bullying MP forced to say sorry to staff over IT rant

A TORY MP was forced to apologise last night for bullying Parliamentary staff when IT problems stopped him joining a virtual meeting.

Daniel Kawczynski ranted at one committee worker that they were ‘useless’ and it was a ‘scandal’ they couldn’t fix his computer, an official report has revealed.

He then posted damaging and untrue messages about them in a WhatsApp group and complained to their manager after drinking a ‘significant amount of alcohol’. Two staff members

‘Significant amount of alcohol’

then reported him over the outbursts from April last year.

The MP initially insisted his behaviour had been ‘perfectly reasonable’.

He also claimed he had been stressed because he is 6ft 9in tall and so is often spotted by voters angry about Brexit and flooding in his Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency.

The Independent Expert Panel, which deals with bullying complaints against MPs, ruled he must apologise in Parliament. Mr Kawczynski appealed the decision but this was rejected.

In his Commons apology yesterday the 49-year-old said: ‘I have reflected on my behaviour, I accept it constituted bullying and as such was entirely inexcusable.’

However, earlier he had told BBC Radio Shropshire: ‘I must apologise because if I don’t apologise then I risk the option of being sanctioned further.’