Ban jeering in parliament to end ‘old boy’s club’ culture, report suggests

Booing and jeering should be banned in the House of Commons to create a more “respectful” environment, a report has suggested.

Job sharing for MPs – where two people represent a constituency instead of one – should also be considered to allow more women to be elected to parliament.

At the 2024 general election, 263 women were elected to the House of Commons out of a total of 650 MPs. At 40%, it was the highest-ever proportion of women MPs – but below the 51% needed to reflect the national male-female split.

The report, by 50:50 Parliament and Compassion in Politics, called for a “reset” of the culture in Westminster, which it likened to an “old boys club” where abuse and intimidating behaviour are commonplace.

It said Prime Minister’s Questions, the weekly slot where the prime minster is quizzed by the leader of the Opposition, resembled a “school playground”, which “undermined” the authority of MPs while potentially putting people off politics.

It said an immediate ban on booing and jeering would be “totemic” and would help provide a good example of behaviour to the public.

Meanwhile, job sharing for MPs – previously suggested by the Green Party and former Labour MP John McDonnell – would foster a greater work-life balance.

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The findings come after Sky News reported last month that newly elected MPs were struggling to set up offices in their constituencies due to fears for their safety and spiralling rents.

Several MPs who spoke to Sky News said they believed landlords were becoming increasingly reluctant to have them as tenants due to the perceived risks that came with the job – including threats of vandalism and protests.

They said that as a result, they felt less able to be visible in their communities and to their constituents.

As part of the report, which has the support of former home secretary Amber Rudd and Labour’s former head of communications, Alastair Campbell, the 132 MPs who stood down at the last election were handed a survey, to which only 24 responded.

Of those who responded, one in three said the levels of abuse they received as an MP had been a factor in deciding to resign, while another third cited the impact the role has had on their mental well-being.

Over half said they needed to step down because of the impact the job had on their family life – including fear for their well-being, safety and the safety of others.

One former MP and minister told the researchers they had a nervous breakdown during their time in parliament.

“It’s been the most extreme experience of my life,” they said.

“The highs are wonderful. The lows are miserable. There’s very little in between. The collapse of public respect makes it an impossible job for the MP and their family. I had a nervous breakdown after my candidacy and again as a minister.”

Another former MP described parliament as an “uncontrolled playground of abuse”.

“Parliament is still run like a gentleman’s club, but the standards of the 19th century gentleman have disappeared.

“Bullying and manipulation are normalised and expected. And there are far too many staffers learning bad habits like drinking at work. The whole palace is out of control and the most depressing place I’ve ever worked.”

Other recommendations put forward by the report include that there should be a ban on lying in parliament as a means to improve the public’s trust in politicians, which it said was at an “all-time low”.

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It cited a number of scandals that have damaged the public’s perception of politicians, including partygate, the 2010 expenses scandal and the instances where MPs have been accused of or found guilty of sexual abuse or bullying, harassment and intimidation.

More recently, Labour has been rocked by rows over freebies, with the party now leading the Conservatives by just one point, according to a poll published last month.

The report also suggested a review of the whipping system in parliament – the means by which MPs are encouraged and persuaded to vote along party lines and follow the leadership’s orders – to “root out bullying”.

The report will be handed to parliament’s modernisation committee, which was promised in Labour’s manifesto and is tasked with reforming House of Commons procedures and driving up standards.