Geraint Davies: Fellow MP Charlotte Nichols makes allegation

A Labour MP has come forward to say she was one of the women to make a sexual harassment complaint against a colleague.

Charlotte Nichols told BBC Panorama that Geraint Davies put his hand on her waist while she was working late.

Mr Davies was suspended by Labour in June. Ms Nichols is the first complainant to identify herself.

Lawyers for the Swansea West MP said he "totally denies the allegations of sexual harassment".

At least four other women have also made allegations about Mr Davies, spanning years.

Ms Nicholls, who has represented Warrington North since 2019, said Mr Davies approached her while she was at a cashpoint in a part of Westminster that has no CCTV.

In June, the Labour Party said he had been suspended following "incredibly serious" allegations of "completely unacceptable behaviour".

Ms Nichols said, before she was elected, she was warned by other colleagues about people to avoid in Westminster because of concerns about sexual harassment. She said she had a list of about 30 people.

"One of the first MPs she had been warned about when entering Westminster was Mr Davies," she told Panorama.

"I had fairly studiously avoided him for most of my first year or so in Parliament."

She recounted one incident when she encountered him while working late.

"There was one evening after a very late vote that we had where I came down to the cash machine to draw some cash out to get a taxi home at the end of the night, and on that corridor there's no CCTV, it's not really that widely used at that time of the evening.

"So, it was quiet and he came up behind me when I was at the cash machine, put his hand on sort of the back part of my waist and said 'I'm glad we get to go home now'."

She said the culture in Westminster could feel toxic.

"If people are getting away with some of the lower-level behaviour, that person starts to feel like they are untouchable," she said.

Labour Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield said she was told about Mr Davies's "reputation" the week she first got to Parliament.

"I was warned about him and it was done in an almost jokey way 'oh, that's just him, but just avoid him if you can'," she said.

"Everyone in the Labour Party knew about this man."

Lawyers for Mr Davies told Panorama that he "totally denies all sexual harassment allegations" and he was prevented by Labour Party rules from commenting to avoid prejudicing ongoing investigations and any future hearing.

However, Conservative MP for Romsey and Southampton North, Caroline Nokes, believes such behaviour is fairly widespread across Parliament.

"I think it's common in all parties. Sexual harassment is very rarely about sex, it's almost always about power," she said.