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A former Marks and Spencer boss has been suspended from the House of Lords for six months after he was found to have launched a tirade of abuse at members of parliamentary staff, calling them “stupid”.
The lengthy suspension was handed down to Lord Stone of Blackheath after he was found to have been rude and aggressive, with the decision noting he poses a “continuing risk to those on the parliamentary estate”.
The incident showed the “clear pattern” of the non-affiliated peer’s poor behaviour continued, according to the House of Lords Conduct Committee.
Lord Stone, who has admitted to getting “over-angry”, has previously had a series of complaints upheld against him for harassment.
As a result he underwent a total of 14 sessions of behaviour change coaching, provided by a specialist trainer at public expense.
The latest complaints relate to an incident in July last year, after Lord Stone left his suitcase unattended at the Underground station entrance to Parliament.
When told he could not leave it there he became abusive and called one security guard “stupid” and another “thick and stupid”.
Refusing to remove his suitcase he told one of the officers: “I don’t care if they piss on it.”
In his written response to the complaints, Lord Stone, who was joint managing director of Marks and Spencer from 1996 to 1999, did not dispute the facts of the case.
A subsequent appeal by the peer against his proposed suspension was dismissed by the conduct committee.
In its report, the committee said: “The present case demonstrates that the ‘clear pattern’ of Lord Stone’s poor behaviour continues.
“Despite the hope we expressed in 2020, Lord Stone appears to have no greater insight into his behaviour now than he did then.
“His continued inability to control his behaviour and to treat staff with respect and courtesy is unacceptable.”
Speaking at Westminster, committee chairwoman Baroness Manningham-Buller, the former head of MI5, said: “There are two reasons for such a long suspension.
“First, there is Lord Stone’s total lack of insight into his behaviour. He continues to deny there is a power imbalance between him, a member of this House, and junior security staff.
“This combined with his self-confessed inability to control his temper makes him a continuing risk to those on the parliamentary estate.”
She added: “Second, this is the third time he has been found in breach of the rules on bullying and harassment. On the two previous occasions he was sent on bespoke training courses and he has in fact undertaken 14 coaching sessions at the House’s expense.
“We made it clear on our last report that any further breach would be met with a much more severe sanction.
“In conclusion, I hope that the House will agree that a long suspension is merited and I invite Lord Stone to use the coming months to reflect on his behaviour and to seek professional support which will help him manage it more effectively in future.”
Lord Stone’s six-month suspension was approved by the House without a vote.
