MP Vaz denies that he bullied clerks in House of Commons
LABOUR MP Keith Vaz has been accused of bullying House of Commons clerks and breaking from normal procedure during taxpayerfunded trips.
BBC Newsnight published a string of allegations from staff about mistreatment at the hands of the former chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee.
Jenny Mccullough, who worked as a clerk until 2011, alleged the Leicester MP told her she was incompetent because she was “not a mother”.
Several told the programme that his overseas trips with the Commons’ committee would often deviate from the planned itinerary without explanation.
Mr Vaz “strenuously” denied the allegations, including that he breached any rules of the House or bullied staff.
Ms Mccullough spoke of one alleged episode when she joined the MP on a trip to Russia and Ukraine in 2008 and found they were taken to an “opulent” dinner thrown in his honour.
It is unclear who paid for the meal, she claimed, and it fell outside of the itinerary that had to be signed off before they left.
A House of Commons spokesman said: “In the past the House has not had a robust process to deal with bullying and harassment.
“However, we are confident that our new Independent Complaints and Grievance Policy will.”