House of Lords member faces 18-month suspension over homophobic bullying claims
Lord Ken Maginnis, who in 2012 compared homosexuality to bestiality, is now refusing to take "behaviour training"
Words: Jamie Tabberer
A member of the House of Lords is facing an 18-month suspension following accusations of homophobic bullying.
The Lords Conducts Committee has advised the punishment over Lord Ken Maginnis of Drumglass’ “homophobic and offensive” language.
The watchdog has also ordered the ex-MP to take “behaviour training” – which the former soldier is refusing – or face a longer ban.
“I’m not going to be dictated to in this way”
“So be it,” he said of a potential further punishment, while denying the allegations of bullying and harassment against him and calling the Committee’s report “ridiculous.”
Lord Maginnis – who, in 2012, compared homosexuality to bestiality – added on BBC Radio Ulster: “I’ve held responsible positions all my life.
“At 83 years of age, I’m not going to be dictated to in this way.”
SNP MP Hannah Bardell and Labour MPs Luke Pollard and Toby Perkins are among those to make complaints against the peer, along with Parliamentary security officer Christian Bombolo.
Lord Maginnis allegedly verbally abused Bombolo after he asked to see the peer’s security pass in January.
Bardell later told the House of Commons it was “one of the worst cases of abuse of security staff” she had witnessed.
It is also claimed he sent an email with a homophobic subject line (“Discrimination by Homos”) in February, and made anti-gay comments about Bardell and Pollard at a breakfast meeting in March hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Armed Forces.
The watchdog initially advised a nine-month suspension, which Lord Maginnis appealed.
However, after second investigation the committe found [as per the BBC] he had “portrayed himself as a victim of a conspiracy… and continued to refer to the complainants in a disobliging and sometimes offensive manner”.
“Queers like her do not annoy me“
The report details how Bardell complained that ‘when she attempted to intervene during that incident [with Bombolo] she was treated rudely and aggressively by Lord Maginnis. She later raised the incident on the floor of the House of Commons as a Point of Order.
“As a result of this, both she and Lord Maginnis were later approached by the press. Lord Maginnis spoke to the HuffPost and made what she considered to be “homophobic and derogatory” remarks about her, including using the phrase “Queers like her do not particularly annoy me”.’
The report and recommended suspension will have to be approved by the House on 7 December before coming into force.
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