Allegations of bullying in Westminster need to be handled from the top – but that may be the root of the problem

Editorial: The Commons may have reformed itself by introducing new grievance procedures. But while the usual standards of conduct still stand, so too do some of the bad old ways

Home secretary Priti Patel is one of the senior figures accused of bullying (Getty)

Bullying is a form of violence. Sometimes it can go as far as throwing a punch, or worse. Sometimes it accompanies molestation and sexual assault.

More commonly it takes the form of verbal abuse dished out by the powerful to those in a poor position to withstand it. Humiliation, public and private, is painful. This, in turn, can lead to mental and indeed physical illness. It is no less of a beating simply because it is delivered in a soft tone and within the supposedly professional and civilised environment of an office with a somnolent HR department along the corridor. It is unacceptable and, in reality, an ineffective and expensive way of dealing with staff under-performance, real or perceived. Employment tribunals are time-consuming and expensive, even when damages are low.

In any case, bullying and coercion are not justifiable, ever. They are, however, commonplace and, while there are few reliable statistics, it seems unusually prevalent in certain lines of work – the City, journalism and politics.

So the latest wave of allegations emerging from Westminster and Whitehall should probably come as little surprise. Dominic Cummings, allegedly, requiring the immediate dismissal of at least one special adviser without due process was one example. His quips about his fellow special advisers losing their jobs might be thought another, albeit milder case.

Priti Patel, the home secretary, is said to be an especially demanding boss, and for her part, she draws a clear line between what it is reasonable to expect from senior staff and what is failure. They may not agree. And former speaker John Bercow is still the subject of comment about his time in office during which he was accused of bullying, allegations he strenuously and categorically denies. There may well be some old-school MPs and ministers, male and female, indulging in traditional bad habits.

The dispiriting thing is that even after much press attention and successive reports into the bullying culture of politics, including landmark reports by Gemma White QC and Dame Laura Cox, a High Court judge, such little progress seems to have been made.

It might be argued that the Brexit years (not yet over) and the hung parliament were so stressful and acrimonious that tempers were bound to flare and standards fall. Yet since the election, the government still seems prone to individual excesses, though the style of management in the office of the speaker of the House of Commons seems more laid back.

The Commons has reformed itself and introduced new grievance procedures, and the usual standards of conduct and the ministerial code still stand. Yet so too do some of the bad old ways, so deeply ingrained in the boozy, gossipy and intense culture of British politics.

A long-term rise in the numbers of women in parliament, government and the civil service may have ameliorated matters, as have wider social trends, such as the #MeToo movement. But much more needs to be done to turn the hothouse of SW1 into a cooler, safer, more rational working environment. That requires leadership from the top. Unfortunately, that seems to be where some of the trouble lies.