What is the Westminster sex scandal, which MPs have been involved and what are the new sanctions?
SHOCK claims saw dozens of MPs accused of inappropriate sexual behaviour in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
As new sanctions to punish MPs for harassing their staff are announced, here's the lowdown on the saga.
What is the dossier of Conservative MPs accused of inappropriate sexual behaviour?
A dossier was compiled by Tory aides detailing allegations against of sexual impropriety against Conservative MPs.
The list included six Cabinet Ministers.
Accusations ranged from affairs to more specific claims such as one Minister said to be "handsy with women at parties", and a backbencher who is "perpetually intoxicated and very inappropriate with women".
The list accused two MPs of using the services of prostitutes while a well-known female MP was accused of having extramarital sex with young male researchers.
One former senior Tory was said to have propositioned his secretary by asking her to “come and feel the length of my c**k”.
Amid the most startling claims was allegations that there is a video showing a male MP being urinated on by three men.
One MP was said to enjoy sex “with men who wear women’s perfume”.
Which MPs were named in the Tory dossier?
- Michael Fallon resigned as Defence Secretary after admitting that he got “handsy” when he inappropriately touched the knee of journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer. Married father-of-two Mr Fallon admitted to The Sun he had touched Julia — but insisted he apologised over the incident 15 years ago and that both considered the matter closed. Julia said she did not feel like she was a victim of a sexual assault, and found the incident nothing more than “mildly amusing”.
- Former Brexit minister Mark Garnier admitted calling his secretary "sugar t*ts" and taking her to buy him sex toys in Soho. Caroline Edmonson said Mr Garnier stood outside the shop and sent her in to buy sex aides for his wife and a member of his constituency staff. He did not deny the claims but told the Mail On Sunday the incidents were taken out of context. He was reported to the Cabinet Office and was later force out of the Cabinet in a reshuffle.
- Former Cabinet Minister Stephen Crabb sent sexually explicit messages to a 19-year-old woman who applied to work in his Commons office. The 44-year-old husband and devout Christian admitted saying some “pretty outrageous things” after the interview. Mr Crabb had previously been caught sending messages to a woman around half his age describing a sex act he would like to perform on her.
- Ex-Deputy PM Damian Green was accused of inappropriate behaviour towards a woman 30 years his junior. Kate Maltby, a Tory activist and academic, said she thought he had suggested he was suggesting sex while offering her a job - an allegation later found to be "credible" by a Cabinet Officee inquiry. He denied the allegations, saying: "It is absolutely and completely untrue that I've ever made any sexual advances on Ms Maltby." He also denied having signed up to extra-marital affair website Ashley Madison. The 61-year-old was also rocked by a fresh scandal after it was police found pornography on his work computer when they raided his Parliamentary office. He left his role as Mrs May's right hand man when he admitted he had lied about it.
- Home Secretary Amber Rudd was on the list as having a “workplace relationship with Kwasi Kwarteng”, another Tory MP. She is not accused of any misconduct and the relationship was well-known in Westminster.
- Steve Double admitted last year that he had an affair with a 26-year-old researcher who was married to a journalist at his local newspaper. Mr Double, 50, MP for St Austell and Newquay in Cornwall, came clean about his deception and his wife of 30-years Anne, 52, forgave him and took him back.
- MP Justin Tomlinson, 40, was named in the dossier for settling down with his 25-year-old aide Katherine Bennett in 2016 when he was already married.
- Grant Schapps, the party’s former chairman, was listed because of rumours allegedly spread by his political rivals that he had an affair, which he denies.
- Mark Menzies resigned as a ministerial aide in 2014 following reports he had hired a rent boy.
- Minister Jake Berry was included because he “impregnated Boris Johnson’s office manager” Alice Robinson. The couple have lived together for some time and do not hide their relationship.
- Robert Halfon, MP for Harlow, admitted having an affair with a Tory activist two years ago.
What is the Westminster sex pest WhatsApp group?
It is a WhatsApp group used by women working in Westminster who use it to warn each other about MPs with a reputation for sexually inappropriate behaviour.
Members of the group include parliamentary researchers, secretaries and aides who claim that politicians on both sides of the house have had sex in their offices, indecently pestered members of staff and subjected female workers to sexist nicknames.
Cabinet members including Mark Garnier and Damian Green were among the politicians named in the group.
Reports include MPs across the political divide groping staff in lifts and having "wandering hands" in taxis.
Other claims about behaviour in the Commons came from a former Westminster bar manager, who told the Sun how she was pestered for sex by up to 30 MPs.
Alice Bailey, 25, who worked there for nearly four years, said some spent all day boozing — occasionally popping back into the chamber to vote before carrying on drinking until late.
What are the rape allegations surrounding the Labour party?
Labour activist Bex Bailey revealed she was raped as a 19-year-old by a senior colleague at a party event in 2011 but was told not to report it by a senior Labour official.
The former member of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) was told two years later by a senior party member that reporting it may “damage” her career.
Speaking to the BBC, Ms Bailey – a widely respected activist – said: “I was seriously sexually assaulted at a Labour Party event – it wasn’t an MP – but someone who was more senior to me.
“I was raped.
“A couple of years later I summoned up the courage and I did say to someone what had happened. I told a senior member of staff who told me – it was suggested to me that I not report it.
“I was told that if I did it might damage me and that might be their genuine view, it might be that that was the case, in which case that shows that we have a serious problem in politics.”
Ms Bailey – now 25 - added: “I don’t think I was even given a cup of tea at the time. It was quite a horrible experience.
“This is why I’ve been fighting so hard for changes to the way that we do this, because I know how hard it is and I don’t want other women to experience what I did.”
In as statement, Labour urged the police to investigate the allegations of “criminal actions”.
The party is also launching an independent investigation into claims “party employee acted improperly” in 2011.
Has anyone resigned over the Westminster sex scandal?
Sir Michael Fallon sensationally resigned on November 1 after admitting that he acted inappropriately.
The Cabinet minister, 65, told PM Theresa May his past behaviour had “fallen below the high standards” he asked of troops he was in charge of.
Sources said he warned the PM he "couldn't guarantee there wouldn't be more stories."
Fallon's allies blamed alcohol for making him a “Jekyll and Hyde” character with women.
The Sun exclusively revealed that Fallon was out after being accused of making lewd sexual comment by a Cabinet colleague.
He is said to have told Andrea Leadsom, who complained of cold hands: “I know where you can put them to warm them up”.
The former Defence Secretary was reported to No10 by the Commons Leader, who accused him of a string of offensive remarks.
A source close to Sir Michael said: “He categorically denies saying something as appalling as he knows where she could warm her hands.”
Have any new allegations emerged?
Charlie Elphicke, 47, is the MP for Dover and Deal.
He is currently at the centre of fresh sexual misconduct allegations made by two female members of his staff.
In November 2017, Elphicke was suspended from the Conservative Party after "serious allegations" made against him were referred to the police.
At the time, Elphicke stated: "I am not aware of what the alleged claims are and deny any wrongdoing."
It is claimed that he targeted two young female aides when he was alone with them, with the incidences said to have taken place between 2015 and 2017.
The young women were interviewed by specialist detectives from Scotland Yard’s sexual offences command earlier this year.
Elphicke was then interviewed under caution in March.
The police investigation into Elphicke is the first confirmed case to emerge since the Westminster sex scandal that erupted last autumn.
Leaked documents reveal that senior Tory officials were first made aware of the allegations about Elphicke’s conduct in 2016.
Elphicke also took to Twitter on the night of April 14, saying: "It was some 5 months before I was made aware of what the “allegations” against me were.
"Now I know, I am completely confident I will be able to prove my innocence. I will continue to defend myself vigorously for as long as necessary."
On April 30 John Woodcock - a staunch critic of leader Jeremy Corbyn - was suspended from Labour after accusations he sent inappropriate texts and messages to a former female staff member were revealed.
The Barrow MP said he did not accept the charge brought against him but was committed to a "thorough and fair investigation of the case".
most read in news
What are the new sanctions against wayward MPs?
MPs that have bullied or sexually harassed staff will be forced to make a written apology and undergo training, under new proposals.
They could face suspension or deselection in more serious cases, according to plans by a cross-party committee.
They were revealed in February 2018 after members were tasked with finding a new approach to stamp out inappropriate behaviour in Westminster.
Green MP Caroline Lucas, who sat on the committee, said: "The MPs who are kicking up the most fuss about the training are precisely the ones who should be first in the queue for it."
Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom, who chaired the group, said: "The new independent procedure will demonstrate that we want to be the best Parliament in the world when it comes to treating everyone who works here with dignity and respect."
The new proposals were due to be debated by MPs later in February before being enshrined in an MPs code of conduct.