KEZIA Dugdale has called for all the members of Holyrood’s governing body to resign to allow gender equality in the wake of the sexual harassment scandal sweeping through Westminster and Holyrood.

The former Scottish Labour leader made the dramatic intervention yesterday by publishing a letter criticising the all-male corporate body that oversees the running, staffing and financing of the Scottish Parliament.

“If we don’t end the all-male dominance of parliament decision-making bodies now, we never will.” she said.

Dugdale wants the current team to step aside so a new process can be adopted that ensures female representation.

Current members of the decision-making body are the SNP’s Gordon MacDonald, Jackson Carlaw of the Conservatives, Andy Wightman of the Greens, Labour’s David Stewart and Liam McArthur of the Lib Dems. The body is chaired by Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh.

Dugdale said there should be at least three female MSPs members whenever there is a male Presiding Officer, to ensure gender balance.

“I have long held view the gender composition of the Parliament matters,” she said. “I think the revelations of the past fortnight, however, bring a sharper focus to the decision-making bodies within the parliament, notably the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body (SPCB) and the Parliamentary Bureau.

“Given these are the bodies which set the parliament’s policy on a whole range of issues related to the day-to-day the running of the parliament, I think it’s no longer tenable for it to be an all-male domain.”

The letter continued: “Knowing most of you well – I have no doubt in my mind that is a view which you are likely to share or at least have sympathy with.”

Changes to the governance structure appear likely as Joe Fitzpatrick, the Scottish Government’s minister for parliamentary business, said in a separate letter to Macintosh yesterday that “immediate action” was required to address gender imbalance on the SPCB.

He wrote as nine questions concerning sexual harassment will be put to the SPCB in Holyrood this Thursday.

“As you know, the First Minister has said political parties and the parliament must act decisively to send a clear signal a culture of sexual harassment has no place in political life in Scotland, or indeed in any workplace,” Fitzpatrick said.

“As I raised with you last week, I believe there are steps that parliament could take to send a clear signal of the seriousness with which we are collectively addressing these issues.

“Given the seriousness of the issue, and the obvious desire of members to discuss it, I consider it would be appropriate to extend the time available for SPCB questions ... to ensure that all members have the chance to ask their questions. “

He added: “Second, I believe we need to consider further ways to address the current gender imbalance on the SPCB itself. The recent change in Standing Orders provides that, in future, nominations to the SPCB must have regard to gender balance. While that is helpful, I consider that we need to take more immediate action. This could be achieved either by changing the membership or by increasing the size of the SPCB from the current five members to allow a greater opportunity to broaden its membership.”

The move follows the resignation of the Scottish Government’s childcare minister Mark McDonald over actions he said had been deemed “inappropriate’’. He apologised as he stood down, saying previous behaviour he had thought “humorous or attempting to be friendly” might have made others uncomfortable.

In a separate incident, Labour MSP Monica Lennon revealed she was assaulted at a function in 2013 by a senior party member in view of other guests. Lennon, the party’s inequalities spokeswoman, said the unnamed man “touched my body, in an intimate way, without invitation or permission’’. Lennon criticised the response she had received from the party following the incident.