Lord Stone of Blackheath: Former M&S boss who said ‘sex is always on his mind’ set for House of Lords ban over alleged sexual misconduct

Peers have backed a proposal to ban a peer from the Parliament building following allegations of sexual harassment.

The House of Lords heard that the continued presence of Lord Stone of Blackheath “would pose a clear and unacceptable risk to other members of the parliamentary community”.

An investigation into the behavior of unaffiliated peers concluded that their actions amounted to harassment and sexual misconduct.

This marks the fourth time Lord Stone has been reported to have bullied, harassed or sexually harassed staff or visitors.

In total, 11 people have complained about his behavior since 2019.

The latest complainants allege he told one person he wanted to kiss them, stated sex was “always on my mind” and asked another if he was suicidal.

Giving written and oral evidence to the latest report, published on 29 April, he said he was “unaware” he had “created this negative impact” and apologized “for the harm I have caused through my ignorance”.

Lord Stone, who was joint chief executive of Marks and Spencer from 1996 to 1999, retired from the Lords in December. No reason for his departure was given at the time.

Conduct committee chairman Lord Kakkar told colleagues on Wednesday that the departure came just after the commissioner launched an investigation into three complaints.

Crossbencher said: “The Commissioner upheld all three complaints, concluding that Lord Stone’s conduct in each case constituted harassment.

“The Commissioner also determined that Lord Stone’s actions towards the two complainants, who were visiting the property as guests, amounted to sexual harassment.

“This is the fourth report in which Lord Stone has been identified as bullying, harassing or sexually harassing staff or visitors.”

Following the third report, the retired peer was suspended from Parliament for six months in December 2024.

Lord Kakkar said the commissioner had found Lord Stone to be “a repeat offender who is unable or unwilling to take the necessary steps to improve his behavior” and would have recommended his expulsion from the House if he had not already resigned.

He added: “The conduct committee agreed with the commissioner that Lord Stone’s presence on the property, whether as a pass holder or a guest, would pose a clear and unacceptable risk to other members of the parliamentary community.”

While his colleagues supported banning him from the Lords’ mansion, he was not banned from the House of Commons.

Lord Kakkar said he would call on the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, to impose similar restrictions here.

The conduct committee report included comments from complainants; Two people said they met with him to discuss support for charities, but what followed “showed a gross abuse of power” and his behavior “demonstrated a mix of racist, ableist and sexist remarks and actions”.

“A few minutes after we met, Lord Stone told me I was attractive and wanted to kiss me,” one of them said.

Another complainant said that the commissioner allegedly said, “I should ask about sex, because it is always on my mind,” asked if they were suicidal, and touched their hair repeatedly and told them that he liked it.

In a written response to the committee, Lord Stone said he apologized for “any inconvenience or distress” and said that as he got older he found it “more difficult to realize and have clear insight when my words and individual actions upset others”.

He said: “My intention was to operate with sincerity, openness and curiosity, to learn more about how they experience daily life and to highlight the positive aspects of how I experience it.

“However, it is clear from their complaints that this situation seemed to them that I was too familiar, intrusive, disrespectful and prejudiced, and that it caused great discomfort and distress.

“I was unaware when I had this negative impact, and I deeply and sincerely apologize for the harm I caused through my ignorance.”

The report said in subsequent oral evidence Lord Stone admitted saying “I want to kiss you” and asking if a person was suicidal, but did not explicitly confirm that he had had sexual intercourse.

The third complainant, a member of parliamentary staff, said they felt “African accents were excluded” and that Lord Stone made them feel “disrespected and uncomfortable”.

In a written response, Lord Stone said he was “deeply sorry” for his behavior towards the individual and that he was “in a state of high concern”.

He was suspended after an incident in July 2023, in which he called a security guard a “stupid” and another a “thick and stupid” after leaving his suitcase unattended at the entrance of the parliament’s tube station.

Refusing to remove her suitcase, she told one of the officers: “I don’t care if they urinate on you or not.” He did not dispute the facts of the case in his written response to the complaints.

Lord Stone sat on the Labor benches of the upper house from 1997 to 2019 before becoming an independent peer.