A PICTURE is emerging of very worrying cultures that pervade many levels of our government.

It started with some of the partygate allegations. The parties were bad enough, but the culture of civil servants bringing suitcases of booze to work for end-of-week drinkies suggested a very unprofessional attitude, and there are claims that the Sue Gray report, when it comes, will strongly criticise this culture in Downing Street.

There are said to be 56 MPs, out of 650, who have complaints of harassment and bullying against them, three of whom are in the Cabinet. That’s 8.6 per cent of MPs who are alleged to have transgressed – what percentage of people in your workplace are currently facing such complaints?

Then we have the Angela Rayner allegations, that she deliberately flashed Boris Johnson at the Despatch Box. These allegations were demeaning to Ms Rayner and even insulting to Mr Johnson.

Now we have stories of a male MP siting on the Commons benches watching sex scenes in a pornographic film quite openly. In practically any other professional workplace, he wouldn’t keep his job very long.

Does this begin at the top? The Prime Minister is not noted for setting a high moral tone, regularly breaks rules without fearing consequences, and has said some pretty rum things about minorities in the past. Perhaps it does.

Or does it just reflect society, where pornographic images are splashed all over the internet and TV? Perhaps it does.

But we don’t want a society where women are routinely demeaned and put off jobs in politics. And the people who can change society, who can set high standards, are our MPs – yet if they are the worst offenders, there will be no improvement. The public really do deserve better.