Qaisar: I was told which male MP's to avoid by a Conservative colleague

SNP MP Anum Qaisar says she was warned by a former Conservative Minister as to which male MP's she should "stay away from" shortly after arriving in the House of Commons

Author: Lewis MichiePublished 1st May 2022

A Scottish MP has claimed she wad advised as to which male MP's she should avoid shortly after being elected to Parliament.

Airdrie and Shotts representative Anum Qaisar was elected in a May 2021 by-election.

She says a former Conservative Minister approached her at an event after noticing the SNP politician was uncomfortable with a male colleague being "too cavalier".

She was then advised as to which particular MP's she was best off avoiding.

"Despite the fact we have this horrific, toxic culture in Westminster, it's women looking after women." Said Qaisar.

"Since I joined Parliament, I've been taken aside by female MPs to warn me about some male MPs who say 'Actually, Anum, you're probably better off staying away from X, Y and Z'.

"In my situation, I was at a parliamentary event and a certain male MP made a beeline for me. I started to feel really uncomfortable because he was being far too over-cavalier.

"It was actually a Conservative MP - a former minister - who took me aside and said 'Look, it seems like you feel uncomfortable. Do you want to stay with me? You're probably best just to stay away from that person'."

It comes after Tory MP Neil Parish resigned from his role after confessing to twice watching pornography in the house of commons.

Two female colleague had spotted what Mr Parish was viewing on his phone during a Parliamentary session.

The Tiverton and Honiton MP told reporters it was a "moment of madness" which he will have to live with for the rest of his life.

He said: "The situation was that, funnily enough, it was tractors I was looking at.

"I did get into another website that had a very similar name and I watched it a bit, which I shouldn't have done.

"But my crime - biggest crime - is that on another occasion I went in a second time."

Hear all the latest news from across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and Falkirk on Forth 1. Listen on FM, via the Rayo app, on DAB or on your smart speaker.