Who is Peter Bone? Tory MP faces six-week suspension over bullying and sexual misconduct findings

A Conservative MP is under investigation by the House of Commons for alleged harassment and sexual assault of a staff worker.

After rejecting his appeal against numerous allegations in an earlier investigation, namely that he “verbally belittled, ridiculed, abused, and humiliated” a member of his staff between 2012 and 2013, the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) of Parliament on Monday recommended that Peter Bone, an MP for Wellingborough since 2005, be given a six-week suspension from the Commons.

The Brexiteer refuted the accusations and criticised the probe as “flawed” and “procedurally unfair”.

Who is Peter Bone?

Mr Bone is a politician from the British Conservative Party. He was born in Billericay in 1952 and attended Westcliff High School for Boys.

Since 2005, he has been the MP for Wellingborough. He participated in the Leave Means Leave political advisory board and ran a campaign for Brexit during the EU referendum.

Mr Bone served as House of Commons deputy leader in 2022.

He married Jeanette Sweeney in 1981 and they have two sons and a daughter. The pair divorced in 2016 and Bone is reportedly now dating physiotherapist Helen Harrison, who previously served as his executive secretary.

Allegations against Mr Bone

By allegedly indecently exposing himself to a staff member while on a business trip abroad, Bone violated the sexual misconduct policies of Parliament, according to the IEP.

Additionally, it supported five claims of bullying, including “physically ordering the complainant to put his hands in his lap when Bone was unhappy with him or his work”.

It was also discovered that he “repeatedly physically struck and threw things” at the complainant, including hitting him with his hand or a tool like a pencil or a rolled-up document. He was also found to have “verbally belittled, ridiculed, abused and humiliated” him.

In addition, Bone allegedly “repeatedly pressured” the employee to give him a massage in the workplace. This was determined to be bullying rather than sexual wrongdoing.

What roles has Mr Bone had?

The 70-year-old entered politics in Southend in the Seventies, serving as the Southend West Conservative Association’s deputy chairman from 1977 until 1984. He also won a seat on Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Blenheim ward.

In 1982, he was hired as a press secretary for a Conservative MP.

He campaigned for the extremely competitive Wellingborough constituency in the 2001 general election, but didn’t oust Labour till 2005. Has been serving as an MP for Wellingborough since then.

Mr Bone was made deputy leader of the House of Commons between July 8 and September 27, 2022.

Which other Tory MPs have been suspended this year?

Following charges that he had groped two men at a private members’ club, Christopher Pincher was expelled from the Conservative Party and lost his government position earlier this year. He acknowledged in his letter of resignation to the PM that he had “embarrassed myself and other people”.

Scott Benton was another Conservative MP who has been suspended this year. He came under investigation for a fake gaming scam. Benton promised to “call in favours” from parliamentary colleagues on behalf of fictitious gambling sector investors who offered him a paid job, according to a Times investigation.

The busy chief whip of the Conservative Party Simon Hart then revoked his right to serve as an MP for the party “while an investigation is ongoing”.

What happens next?

The committee on standards, made up of other MPs, will now review the IEP’s findings and decide whether or not a Commons vote to suspend Bone will take place.

Should Bone receive a six-week suspension, he will also be subject to a recall petition, which would allow his constituents to demand a by-election to unseat him.

Peter Bone has been contacted for comment.