Ex-Tory MP Aaron Bell carried out ‘brazen and drunken’ sexual misconduct in parliament bar, watchdog finds

Published

7 months ago

October 29, 2024

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Former Conservative MP Aaron Bell carried out “brazen and drunken” sexual misconduct in the parliament bar, a watchdog has found.

Parliament’s standards watchdog found that the former MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme “abused his position of power” by touching a woman “on her left thigh, waist and bottom inappropriately and without her consent” while in one of parliament’s bars in December 2023.

The panel found that had Mr Bell still been an MP, the panel said it would have considered suspending him from parliament “for a significant period”.

Mr Bell, who did not seek re-election in July and whose seat is now represented by Labour, said he was “disappointed” at the outcome of the investigation but had chosen not to appeal its findings.

“I apologise for any upset caused to the complainant and wish to make it clear that I did not intend to cause any distress,” he said in a statement.

The findings by the Daniel Greenberg, the standards commissioner who is responsible for investigating any alleged breaches of the code of conduct for MPs, came after a complaint was filed to parliament’s independent complaints and grievance scheme in February 2024.

Mr Greenberg then referred the case to the independent expert panel, which sits above parliament’s standards committee, to determine the appropriate sanction.

The IEP sub-panel found there had been a “serious case of sexual misconduct involving an abuse of power” that had had an “enduring impact on the complainant”.

It said Mr Bell – who as a government whip was responsible for enforcing party discipline and ensuring their colleagues vote with the government- “abused his position of power over the complainant”.

“Not only was he considerably older, but he was also a member of parliament therefore holding a particularly powerful role.”

It was also highlighted how Mr Bell was an assistant government whip at the time, which it described as a role with “considerable authority” that also involved “upholding the highest standards of conduct”.

The panel added: “It does not reduce the seriousness of the conduct that it took place in a bar.

“No matter how the respondent or others may view that environment, it is in the workplace.

“Any member of parliament in that setting remains a person with particular power and authority.

“Indeed, sexual misconduct such as this, which is both brazen and drunken, makes the conduct more serious as the level of threat is increased.”

Mr Bell said the investigation was “one of the reasons I chose not to seek re-election at the general election – I have let down the loyal members of my association and thank them for the support they gave me as a member of parliament”.

“I would also like to apologise to the people of Newcastle-under-Lyme, whom it was an honour to serve.

“This has been a difficult time for my family, and I would ask that their privacy is respected at this time.”

Politics

SEC says REX-Osprey staked SOL and ETH funds may not qualify as ETFs

Published

13 hours ago

May 31, 2025

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SEC says REX-Osprey staked SOL and ETH funds may not qualify as ETFs

The SEC responded shortly after the issuers filed effective registration amendments for staked SOL and Ether exchange-traded funds.

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IMF raises concern over Pakistan’s Bitcoin mining power plan: report

Published

23 hours ago

May 31, 2025

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IMF raises concern over Pakistan’s Bitcoin mining power plan: report

IMF questions Pakistan’s plan to allocate 2,000 megawatts of electricity for Bitcoin mining amid energy shortages and budget talks.

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‘No doubt’ UK will spend 3% of GDP on defence in next parliament, defence secretary says

Published

1 day ago

May 31, 2025

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'No doubt' UK will spend 3% of GDP on defence in next parliament, defence secretary says

There is “no doubt” the UK “will spend 3% of our GDP on defence” in the next parliament, the defence secretary has said.

John Healey’s comments come ahead of the publication of the government’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) on Monday.

This is an assessment of the state of the armed forces, the threats facing the UK, and the military transformation required to meet them.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously set out a “clear ambition” to raise defence spending to 3% in the next parliament “subject to economic and fiscal conditions”.

Mr Healey has now told The Times newspaper there is a “certain decade of rising defence spending” to come, adding that this commitment “allows us to plan for the long term. It allows us to deal with the pressures.”

A government source insisted the defence secretary was “expressing an opinion, which is that he has full confidence that the government will be able to deliver on its ambition”, rather than making a new commitment.

The UK currently spends 2.3% of GDP on defence, with Sir Keir announcing plans to increase that to 2.5% by 2027 in February.

This followed mounting pressure from the White House for European nations to do more to take on responsibility for their own security and the defence of Ukraine.

The 2.3% to 2.5% increase is being paid for by controversial cuts to the international aid budget, but there are big questions over where the funding for a 3% rise would be found, given the tight state of government finances.

While a commitment will help underpin the planning assumptions made in the SDR, there is of course no guarantee a Labour government would still be in power during the next parliament to have to fulfil that pledge.

A statement from the Ministry of Defence makes it clear that the official government position has not changed in line with the defence secretary’s comments.

The statement reads: “This government has announced the largest sustained increase to defence spending since the end of the Cold War – 2.5% by 2027 and 3% in the next parliament when fiscal and economic conditions allow, including an extra £5bn this financial year.

“The SDR will rightly set the vision for how that uplift will be spent, including new capabilities to put us at the leading edge of innovation in NATO, investment in our people and making defence an engine for growth across the UK – making Britain more secure at home and strong abroad.”

Sir Keir commissioned the review shortly after taking office in July 2024. It is being led by Lord Robertson, a former Labour defence secretary and NATO secretary general.

The Ministry of Defence has already trailed a number of announcements as part of the review, including plans for a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command and a £1bn battlefield system known as the Digital Targeting Web, which we’re told will “better connect armed forces weapons systems and allow battlefield decisions for targeting enemy threats to be made and executed faster”.

On Saturday, the defence secretary announced a £1.5bn investment to tackle damp, mould and make other improvements to poor quality military housing in a bid to improve recruitment and retention.

Mr Healey pledged to “turn round what has been a national scandal for decades”, with 8,000 military family homes currently unfit for habitation.

He said: “The Strategic Defence Review, in the broad, will recognise that the fact that the world is changing, threats are increasing.

“In this new era of threat, we need a new era for defence and so the Strategic Defence Review will be the vision and direction for the way that we’ve got to strengthen our armed forces to make us more secure at home, stronger abroad, but also learn the lessons from Ukraine as well.

“So an armed forces that can be more capable of innovation more quickly, stronger to deter the threats that we face and always with people at the heart of our forces… which is why the housing commitments that we make through this strategic defence review are so important for the future.”