Labor MP Liam Byrne to be suspended from Commons for bullying aid | House of Commons

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The Labor MP Liam Byrne will be suspended from the Commons for bullying a staff member, after being accused of ostracising the aid and denying them access to his parliamentary account.

An independent panel recommended Byrne be suspended for two days for a breach of bullying and harassment rules after a complaint from a former member of his constituency staff to the independent grievance scheme.

Parliament’s commissioner for standards found he had ostracised his staff member after sending them home in the aftermath of a falling out at the constituency office. Byrne did not appeal against the decision.

He was found to have committed a “serious breach” of bullying rules by ceasing contact with the employee for several months and denying him access to his IT account.

“The impact of this behavior was compounded by the fact that it occurred during the first period of lockdown when the complainant was physically separated from work colleagues, uncertain of his future work status and had undergone a period of ill health,” the panel found.

The report found Byrne had “sought to present his actions as a reasonable HR strategy in response to this incident.” But it said it did not agree. “It was bullying. He should, as he now accepts, have tackled any misconduct through a proper disciplinary process not by ostracising the complainant.”

Byrne must make a written apology to the complainant; and undertake training and take action “to address the causes of his behavior and weaknesses in the management of his office”.

A Labor party spokesperson said: “The Labor party fully supports the recommendations of this independent report, including the proposed sanction.”

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