LONDON: British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday called for tougher rules governing MPs’ conduct after a government minister was accused of asking his secretary to buy sex toys.
Expressing her concern in a letter to the House of Commons speaker — a lawmaker who acts as its impartial chief officer — May said current disciplinary procedures lack “the required teeth.”
“I do not believe that this situation can be tolerated any longer. It is simply not fair on staff, many of whom are young and in their first job post-education,” she wrote.
The premier’s letter was prompted by allegations against Mark Garnier by his former secretary in The Mail on Sunday. Caroline Edmondson told the newspaper that the Conservative party lawmaker gave her money to buy two vibrators from a London sex store in 2010.
The paper also reported that Edmondson, who now works for another lawmaker, said Garnier also described her in lewd terms on one occasion, in front of witnesses.
The Cabinet Office — responsible for ensuring effective government — will investigate if Garnier’s behavior violated ministerial codes of conduct, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Sunday.
“These stories, if they are true, are obviously totally unacceptable,” Hunt told a BBC political program.
The prime minister went further, saying the current suggested disciplinary procedure for MPs needed to be overhauled to make it contractually binding for lawmakers.
“I would be grateful if you would be able to use your office to assist me in doing all we can to ensure that the reputation of Parliament is not damaged further by allegations of impropriety,” May said in her letter.
Garnier, a minister for international trade, could not be reached by AFP for comment on Sunday but has admitted the accusations, according to the paper, calling the sex toys purchase “high jinks.”
A Cabinet Office spokeswoman confirmed the investigation into Garnier — a married father of three — but declined to comment further.
Garnier is the most senior of several British politicians named in media reports at the weekend accused of inappropriate behavior or sexual harassment.
They are in the spotlight following the avalanche of harassment and rape allegations against disgraced Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
Former Conservative party cabinet minister Stephen Crabb, a devout Christian, apologized on Saturday after a newspaper investigation found he had sent sexually explicit messages to a young female job applicant.
On Friday Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, called for an end to the “warped and degrading culture” at Westminster.
“The problem doesn’t stop with those who make unwanted advances on women, it extends to a culture that has tolerated abuse for far too long,” he said.
British PM calls for action after lawmaker sex toys allegations
British PM calls for action after lawmaker sex toys allegations
Dozens missing after boat carrying more than 200 migrants capsized off the coast of Gambia
- At least 102 survivors have been rescued and seven bodies recovered from the boat that capsized on New Year’s Eve in northwest Gambia’s North Bank region
BANJUL: Dozens are missing after a boat carrying more than 200 migrants on their way to Europe capsized off the coast of Gambia, the West African nation’s leader said late Friday, setting off a frantic search and rescue operation.
At least 102 survivors have been rescued and seven bodies recovered from the boat that capsized on New Year’s Eve in northwest Gambia’s North Bank region, Gambian President Adama Barrow said in a state broadcast.
The emergency services were joined by local fishermen and other volunteers in searching for the victims, days after Wednesday’s incident near the village of Jinack, he said.
Thousands of Africans desperate for better opportunities in Europe risk their lives traveling on boats along the Atlantic coast, one of the world’s deadliest migrant routes that connects the West African coast across Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania.
Many migrants seeking to reach Spain via the Canary Islands never make it due to high risks of boats capsizing. In August 2025, around 150 people were either dead or missing after their boat that came from Gambia capsized off the coast of Mauritania. A similar incident in July 2024 killed more than a dozen migrants with 150 others declared missing.
It was not clear what led to the latest tragedy. Gambia’s Ministry of Defense said the boat was found “grounded on a sandbank.”
“The national emergency response plan has been activated and the government has deployed adequate resources to intensify efforts and provide assistance to the survivors,” Barrow said.
Some of the 102 survivors were undergoing urgent medical care, the Gambian leader said.
As he condoled with families, Barrow vowed a full investigation and called the accident a “painful reminder of the dangerous and life-threatening nature of irregular migration.”
“The government will strengthen efforts to prevent irregular migration and remains determined to create safer and more dignified opportunities for young people to fulfil their dreams,” he added.
