A FORMER Tory researcher has lifted the lid on what she calls the rife “sleaze and casual sexism” in Westminster as she reveals an MP nicknamed her “big t***”.

Teresa Fitzherbert, who worked for ex-minister Mark Garnier, said male politicians harassed and bullied female staff and reduced them to tears.

She said her boss treated her well, but many others didn’t – claiming one “young woman was advised by her boss to take the stairs to his ministerial office because he thought that she was overweight”.

But Mr Garnier hit the headlines last year after it emerged he called his secretary “sugar t***” and got her to buy him a sex toy.

Ms Fitzherbert, who now works for the magazine Harper’s Bazaar, confirmed the story, writing: “My boss walked in; ‘look what I asked Caroline to buy for me’ he said, gleefully pulling two baby-pink, diamanté vibrators from his shopping bag.

“This was Mark Garnier, Member of Parliament for Wyre Forest, Caroline was his PA and one of the presents was for a woman working in his constituency office.”

Although he was cleared of flouting the ministerial code over the incident he was sacked as a junior minister in the trade department in Theresa May’s reshuffle.

It came after several high-profile MPs have come under investigation for alleged inappropriate behaviour in the Westminster sleaze scandal.

They include two of the PM’s trusted Cabinet ministers – Damian Green and Michael Fallon – while several MPs remain suspended pending further inquiries.

Ms Fitzherbert suggested there is a lot more bad behaviour that goes on, writing: “Hot-headed MPs would break things in anger and torment their staff.

“I knew a girl who was losing her hair from stress and another who came to me in tears because her boss had thrown his briefcase at her.”

She said she was excited to start work there as a 22-year-old, writing: “But I hadn’t worked there long before disappointment began to creep in.

“Despite the unique traditions, the inspiring architecture and some fascinating people, at times I found the Palace of Westminster to be a petty, gossiping, sleazy place riddled with casual sexism.

“I would come home every day with a fresh anecdote: one MP referred to me as ‘Big T***’ behind my back; another introduced their new, male researcher as ‘good, but his breasts aren’t as nice as the last one’s’.”

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As well as blaming the fact “Parliament is dominated by middle-aged men with inflated egos and a sense of entitlement”, she laid some of the blame at Westminster’s multiple  watering holes.

Ms Fitzherbert added:  “I remember endless scandals starting in the Strangers' Bar including affairs between MPs and staff, and drunken punch-ups.

“As it was my first job, I couldn’t tell whether this was normal or not. Did employees usually deliver love notes between offices?

“Was it customary to be asked if you had a boyfriend during a meeting about the Common Fisheries Policy?”

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