Rob Roberts: Intern propositioned by MP considers complaining

An intern invited to "fool around" by MP Rob Roberts is considering making another complaint

A former parliamentary intern has said she would make an independent complaint about MP Rob Roberts if he does not resign.

In texts seen by BBC Wales last year he invited her to "fool around".

A separate sexual misconduct complaint made by the Delyn MP's male former senior parliamentary assistant led to the MP being suspended for six weeks.

He can return as an MP after this suspension. Mr Roberts has been asked to comment.

In June 2020, the former senior parliamentary assistant made a sexual misconduct complaint about the MP to Parliament's Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS).

The former staff member began working for Mr Roberts in February 2020 and said Mr Roberts made his "first advance" 10 days later.

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He told BBC Wales the MP repeatedly propositioned him, asked him to be "less alluring", made inappropriate remarks referring to the employee's sexuality, and exhibited "jealous behaviour" when he refused Mr Roberts's repeated advances.

His complaint was investigated by an independent expert panel which was set up to handle harassment and bullying complaints against MPs.

The investigation concluded last week and recommended the MP be suspended from Parliament for six weeks, which Parliament has now approved.

Mr Roberts will not face a recall petition - something that could trigger a by-election if enough constituents backed one.

If an MP is suspended by Parliament's Standards Committee for more than 10 sitting days they automatically face a recall petition.

The intern was sent a string of messages by the Conservative MP

But sanctions imposed by this independent expert panel do not automatically trigger recall petitions.

Senior cross-party politicians have referred to this as a legal "loophole" and led calls for the law to change.

Now, a female former parliamentary intern, who Mr Roberts repeatedly propositioned in a series of text messages in April 2020, has said she would make a complaint to Parliament's ICGS if he remains in Parliament following his suspension.

That could trigger a further investigation if her complaint was upheld.

She said: "It honestly disgusts a lot of us that he has the audacity to remain in his position.

"It also makes us all feel unsafe that in six weeks he can come back and still be on the parliamentary estate.

"I don't work in Parliament anymore, but I still work in politics and it is difficult for me to do my job sometimes, because he still pops up on my radar."

She said she had concerns about making a complaint: "The one thing I am afraid of is when I do file it with the ICGS that it will just be the same repeat suspension, that loophole that he can't be recalled because it's not the standards committee doing it."

An excerpt of messages sent by the MP to the intern on 12 April 2020

She added while lots of people in politics were being "really vocal" about what had happened, she felt there was "nothing we can do".

"It feels like the system's failing us a bit," she said.

"I want to do everything I possibly can to make sure the right thing is done, and wish I knew what to do. I want to prevent it from ever happening again to anyone."

In April 2020, Mr Roberts said she might want to "fool around with no strings, you might come and visit me in London".

Later in the exchange, the MP told her he "might be gay but I enjoy… fun times".

The woman, who did not respond to the request, explained to the MP she was in an "awful state" and struggling with her mental health.

Mr Roberts responded: "I was just thinking about fun times… Maybe if you thought of them too it might help you."

What could happen next?

The UK government said the "severity" of the male parliamentary staffer's case, as outlined in a report, and the "loophole" it revealed has highlighted a need to review whether recall petitions should be automatically triggered for suspensions like this in future.

But senior politicians have called for "solutions" to seek a recall petition in this case too.

House of Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg has said it would be "honourable" for Mr Roberts to stand down, which would trigger a recall petition.

Delyn was one of the so-called "red wall" Labour seats in north Wales the Tories won at the 2019 general election

Labour's shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire said she had written to Mr Rees-Mogg to offer to work with him to "close the loophole urgently and seek solutions".

Labour has said if Mr Roberts does not resign they are looking at options to force his resignation, or make him subject to recall.

These include tabling a motion for MPs to vote on in Parliament.

A Labour spokesman said: "The public would expect anyone who was found to have carried out sexual misconduct to face losing their job.

"Until he does so, Labour will continue to work cross-party to find an urgent solution to this matter."

The Conservative Party suspended his whip after the independent expert panel's investigation concluded and said they would "like to apologise" to the individual concerned.

The party closed their own investigation into the MP earlier this year saying he had been "rebuked" for "unacceptable" conduct but, at the time, would remain a Conservative MP.

The Conservative Party said it did not contact either staff member as part of its investigation because complaints were made by third-party complainants and had not come directly from the individuals involved.

Mr Roberts has declined to comment on calls for his resignation.

He issued a statement after he was recommended a six-week suspension saying he recognised "this breach of trust in the MP-staff relationship was completely improper and should not have happened".

He said he planned to continue to "serve my constituency, as I have over the past 18 months since my election, and this judgement will not alter my resolve to ensure that the people of Delyn get the assistance they need with pressing local issues."

He has not commented on the text messages sent to the female intern.