Britain's upper House of Lords on Thursday voted to block the suspension of a parliamentarian who allegedly tried to force a woman to sleep with him in exchange for a promotion. Lawmakers rejected the recommendations of the House of Lords committee, voting by 101 to 78 to send the case back for review following a lengthy debate, where members raised concerns over the disciplinary procedure.

The committee had called for Anthony Lester -- an 82-year-old human rights lawyer and member of the centrist Liberal Democrats party -- to receive the longest ban for a British lawmaker since at least World War II. The vote came as sexual harassment allegations swirled over both houses of parliament. An October report into the House of Commons found that a culture of bullying and inappropriate sexual behaviour "thrives" among members of the lower chamber.