Lord Ranger, a former adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has resigned the government whip after an investigation found that he bullied and harassed two individuals while intoxicated. The incident occurred at Parliament’s Strangers’ Bar in January, prompting the House of Lords Conduct Committee to take action.
The committee’s report revealed that Lord Ranger was “visibly drunk” and made “various inappropriate comments” to a group of people. Later, he returned to the same group and “acted aggressively, shouting and swearing,” using derogatory language and invading their personal space.
As a consequence of his behaviour, Lord Ranger has given up the whip, effectively making him a non-aligned peer. The whip’s office issued a statement condemning his actions as an “unacceptable breach of the standards of the House and of parliament.” The committee recommended a three-week suspension from the House and a 12-month ban from the House of Lords bars.
Lord Ranger, who served as Mr. Johnson’s transport advisor during his tenure as Mayor of London, expressed remorse for his conduct. In an apology to the complainants, he acknowledged that he did not recall the incident but was “deeply mortified” by the descriptions of his behaviour. He attributed the outburst to the toll taken by his wife and children’s health issues on his physical and mental well-being.
Initially, the House of Lords standards commissioner recommended a one-week suspension, but the Conduct Committee deemed Lord Ranger’s actions “particularly serious,” warranting a more severe sanction. The investigation concluded that his prolonged bullying behaviour, fuelled by alcohol, constituted both harassment and bullying.
