Labour’s Nick Bent responds after attack from MP Helen Jones

The politician has endured time on the Opposition’s front bench, including as shadow home office minister, since winning her seat in 1997.

But during a speech in the House of Commons last Tuesday, she raised the issue of bullying, harassment and intimidation of female MPs ‘often from within their own parties’.

She said: “It feeds into a culture of contempt for women that we see online and in other areas of our lives. At best, a blind eye is often turned to it.

“At worst, they are accused of provoking it, somehow, by being there.

“I have put up with this for my 22 years in Parliament and have never spoken about it until now.

“My mind has been changed by seeing some of my younger sisters going through the same thing.

“If someone like me, who has been here for a long time, does not call it out, who will? If not now, when?

MP Helen Jones

“Our problem is not in Parliament – I have had sterling support from both male and female colleagues over the years – but while we have changed the culture of this place and brought in more women, particularly in 1997 with that landmark election of 101 women MPs, we did not sufficiently tackle the culture in our own parties, where there are still people who believe that women do not belong in the public sphere and, if they are to be there at all, they are there to do as they are told.

“That is the problem, I have seen it since I was selected. There were people in my constituency who did not want a woman MP.”

Mrs Jones also launched an attack on Labour’s Stockton Heath parish councillor Mr Bent, who has lost out in two Warrington South general election battles for the party.

She added: “I have an ex-parliamentary candidate in my area – not in my constituency – called Nick Bent.

“He is the outwardly respectable chief executive officer of a charity called the Tutor Trust and a trustee of the Oasis Academy.

“He has sent me so many abusive texts and e-mails that I have a thick file of them.

“Among his little gems – there are a lot – were calling me ‘poisonous and useless’ and ‘not fit to tie my bootlaces’, not that I would want to.

“He usually says that I am going to be deselected: “You should step down and make way. There are plenty of good candidates. After the election you will almost certainly be deselected, so it might be the only way to preserve a bit of dignity. Just some friendly advice.”

“It does not seem very friendly to me, I have to say.

“This man has not only abused me: he has abused my staff, my family and my constituency chair, who is well-respected in the area and has done a lot locally.

“Women councillors in his constituency have been on the receiving end of abusive e-mails and messages from him.

“He reduced a young woman organiser to tears during a general election.

“In 2016, I submitted a bullying and harassment complaint, I had been pretty patient for six years.

“What happened? It was mysteriously lost. I resubmitted it, but I am still waiting.”

Mr Bent has responded to the claims – and accused the MP of ‘hiding behind’ parliamentary privilege.

He said: “Abuse of public figures, especially women, is abhorrent and getting worse.

Parish councillor Nick Bent

“Sadly, I saw this myself during my time as special adviser to Tessa Jowell MP in Westminster, particularly when I worked on her women and equality portfolio in Cabinet.”

“I am proud of my record on supporting and promoting women, both in politics and at work, and I have done vastly more than Helen Jones to promote diversity and female equality in Warrington Labour.

“Bullying and harassment by MPs, whether male or female, is also unjustifiable.

“The Labour Party has a duty of care to members, to stop them being abused by MPs, and it’s time for the NEC to reopen its inquiry into Helen Jones and her family, to put an end to it.

“When I have legitimate concerns about politicians of any stripe or gender, I raise them openly and in a measured way.

“Important questions about Helen Jones’s parliamentary expenses, her use of House of Commons resources, her other paid work and so on are all matters of interest to Warrington voters.”

Following the comments, independent borough councillor Dan Price, who resigned from the Labour Party in April, took to Twitter to hit out at Mrs Jones.

Borough councillor Dan Price

He tweeted: “Helen is the most toxic, self-interested politician I’ve ever met.

“She’s universally disliked throughout the Labour Party in Parliament and seen as a total bully in Warrington Labour…

“She’ll soon regret this latest abuse of parliamentary privilege!”