Senior Hounslow Councillor Says She was Sexually Harassed

Katherine Dunne claims alleged offenders include fellow councillors

Picture: Cllr Katherine Dunne

September 1, 2024

A senior councillor at Hounslow Council has alleged that she has been a victim of sexism, sexual harassment and threatening behaviour while in office including from fellow councillors.

Cllr Katherine Dunne, who is the portfolio holder for Climate, Environment and Transport, made the claims in a statement she made as part of her bid to be elected as Treasurer of LabourWomensNet, a group which aims to increase female representation in the party by providing training to women in public office.

She said, "As a councillor I’ve experienced sexism, sexual harassment and threatening behaviour from other councillors and members of the public. Some of this happened while I was Deputy Leader of my council.

"We need to keep working inside and outside the party to stamp out this behaviour wherever it affects female councillors, MPs, parliamentary staff, or other women in public life.”

She does not name the councillors responsible or the party which they represented.

Cllr Dunne had been Deputy Leader of Hounslow Council until May of this year after being in the role for 2 years and serving as a councillor for a decade. She represents Syon Lock and Brentford ward.

She was unexpectedly replaced in a cabinet reshuffle with Cllr Tom Bruce taking on the role. Cllr Bruce is understood to be close to the council leader Shantanu Rajawat as they were at school together.

Cllr Dunne, despite retaining her cabinet post, did not conceal her displeasure at the move and was heard in an angry exchange with the leader questioning his commitment to fair gender representation. There is currently an equal male to female split on Hounslow Council’s cabinet.

Chiswick Riverside councillor Gabriella Giles said she had shared concerns with Cllr Dunne and Cllr Joanna Biddolph for a number of years.

She added, "As female councillors, we have spoken about sexism in politics and specifically how female politicians are subject to more scrutiny and criticism than our male counterparts. In the extreme, we are the subject of vile threats to our personal safety. We have also discussed how this can be a barrier to encouraging other women to enter public service.

"Sexism and misogyny, from men and women, are rife in our society and can appear in many different forms: from having to justify our positions, to the perception that women talk too much, and simply not being believed. It can be exhausting. While violence towards women should never be tolerated, it is often the microaggressions that wear us down. These are also more insidious and harder to identify and therefore to eliminate.

"Two years ago, Katherine and I spoke about bringing together a cross-party working group to look into supporting female councillors, and I would welcome revisiting this ambition.

"It is about time that Hounslow Council took these statements seriously. Both Jo and I have repeatedly met and spoken with senior officers at the council about the treatment of female Conservative councillors and, too often, we have been placated by warm words and our comments swept under the carpet. Now is the time for the council to be fully transparent about how they will work to investigate complaints and appropriate disciplinary measures - and support all councillors through behaviour and policy changes.

"We need to formulate solutions so that we can create a safe space where all women are allowed to share their fears and ideas without worry of being minimised, criticised or ostracised. As former United States Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright said 'There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t support other women'.

"Our female elected representatives are often the hardest working in the borough, expected to do and achieve more to earn their place, and we all need to be included in the discourse to create a more equitable society."

Last year, Hounslow Council published a comprehensive three-year plan to tackle violence against women and girls. It emphasises three key priorities: providing the right support for victims, survivors, and children; collaborating across agencies to prevent violence; and taking firm action against perpetrators.

The council has established a partnership that includes local organisations like Southall Black Sisters and the Women and Girls Network to ensure that the community is actively involved in these efforts. It also focuses on engaging men and boys in the conversation to address and eliminate violence against women and girls. This is symbolised by the council's commitment to the White Ribbon campaign, which seeks to involve men in ending violence.

Additionally, the council offers services like the One Stop Shop, providing free and confidential support to anyone experiencing domestic or sexual violence. The council says this overall strategy is part of a broader effort to make Hounslow a safer place for women and girls to live, work, and study.

We have asked Hounslow Council for a response to Cllr Dunne’s comments and whether any formal complaints of sexual harassment have been made against councillors.