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A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 3 November 2017

UK’s May replaces defense chief as harassment scandal widens

British political system. was famous for a rowdy,
Multiple sexual-harassment male-dominated culture
claims against British politi- of hard drinking, boozy de-
cians have emerged since bates and midnight votes.
the scandal around movie British politics also has a
mogul Harvey Weinstein long history of sex scan-
emboldened people in dals: The “Profumo affair”
many industries to speak involving a government
up about improper behav- minister, a model and a So-
ior by powerful individuals viet attache helped bring
who control their future job down the Conservative
prospects. government in 1963. Prime
Britain’s Parliament is an Minister John Major’s early-
intense and insular place, 90s government was debili-
where politicians and par- tated by regular reports of
ties employ large numbers embarrassing affairs.
of young and ambitious Parliament’s raucous at-
staff. The building, full of mosphere was dealt a
long corridors, dark cran- blow several years ago
nies and cheap bars, is the with a move to more “fam-
perfect stage for liaisons, ily friendly” hours, with sit-
Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the House of Commons in Parlia- intrigue — and worse. tings starting earlier in the
ment in London, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. “Where you have lots of morning and ending earlier
(AP Photo/Alastair Grant) young individuals, be they in the evening. One of the
By JILL LAWLESS ing Britain’s macho po- nalist’s knee at a function in men or women, with very building’s many bars has
Associated Press litical culture. Some men, 2002, and reports suggest- little in terms of employ- been turned into a nursery
LONDON (AP) — The resig- though, worry they are be- ed more allegations about ment protection, it seems for the children of legisla-
nation of Britain’s defense ing unfairly tainted by alle- him might emerge. like the perfect environ- tors and staff.
secretary amid a growing gations of sexism. Fallon’s resignation is an ment for abuse,” said Vic- The number of female law-
sexual harassment scandal Michael Fallon, a depend- unwelcome challenge for toria Honeyman, a lecturer makers has risen, though
is a sign that the U.K.’s cor- able lieutenant to Prime May, who is struggling to in politics at the University they are still outnumbered
ridors of power are not al- Minister Theresa May, quit keep her fractious gov- of Leeds. by men.
ways a comfortable place as defense secretary late ernment united as Britain She said the Fallon case When Margaret Thatcher
for women. Wednesday, saying his past heads for the European was likely “the tip of the became Britain’s first fe-
As allegations of impropri- behavior “may have fallen Union exit. She replaced iceberg.” male prime minister in 1979,
ety and abuse spread to below the high standards” Fallon on Thursday with “I think there will be an aw- only 3 percent of lawmak-
more politicians and of- expected. Fallon had apol- Gavin Williamson, the for- ful lot of very, very worried ers were women. The fig-
ficials, many women are ogized after a newspaper mer Conservative chief individuals across the politi- ure rose to 22 percent by
expressing hope this will be reported that he had re- whip. cal spectrum,” she said. 2010, and to 32 percent
a tipping point in transform- peatedly touched a jour- It’s also a challenge to the For decades, Parliament this year.
Paris: In addition to a woman as
prime minister, Scotland
Mixed verdict in trial of jihadi Merah’s brother has a female leader in First
Minister Nicola Sturgeon,
and women lead the Scot-
By PHILIPPE SOTTO three paratroopers in the calizing his younger broth- brother perpetrate or pre- tish Conservatives, the
Associated Press southern Toulouse region in er but has always denied pare for his nine-day shoot- Welsh party Plaid Cymru
PARIS (AP) — A French 2012. That marked the first helping Mohammed pre- ing spree.“Abdelkader and Sinn Fein in Northern
court on Thursday convict- of what became a wave of pare the attacks. Merah shared his brother’s Ireland.
ed a French-Algerian man attacks in France by home- After eight hours of delib- motives but none of the el- Yet many women in politics
of terrorism ties but found grown Islamic extremists. erations, the five profes- ements in the case file or at say there is much further to
him not guilty of complic- The trial was the only oppor- sional magistrates convict- the trial shows that he knew go.
ity in his brother’s deadly tunity for families of victims ed Merah of a lesser crime of the targets and crimes Sophie Walker, leader of
attacks on a Jewish school to seek public justice be- — taking part in a criminal of his brother,” Judge Zien- the Women’s Equality Par-
and French paratroopers. cause Mohammed Merah terrorist association with his tara said.The verdict was ty, said the stories emerg-
Abdelkader Merah was was killed by France’s po- brother and others. calmly received by the ing from the worlds of en-
sentenced to 20 years in lice special forces after a But the court acquitted him victims’ families who were tertainment, media and
prison by a Paris court Thurs- 32-hour televised standoff of the most serious charge, sitting on the first benches politics “demonstrate an
day after a tense and emo- in Toulouse in March 2012, complicity in the terror mur- inside the courtroom, even epidemic of sexual harass-
tional trial over his younger days after his deadly ram- ders of Mohammed. Presid- if disappointment and sad- ment which is absolutely
brother Mohammed’s kill- page. ing judge Franck Zientara ness were reflected in the about power — a massive,
ings of three Jewish school- Abdelkader Merah, now said there is no proof Ab- tears of mothers of two endemic imbalance of
children, a teacher and 35, was accused of radi- delkader Merah helped his murdered soldiers. q power.”q