The Deputy Prime Minister has responded to allegations from the Mail on Sunday that the Conservative Party covered up multiple rape accusations against an MP. Oliver Dowden denied the claims and emphasized the party’s “zero tolerance” policy towards sexual misconduct. The Mail on Sunday reported that former Tory chairman Sir Jake Berry discovered the scandal when he found out that the party had paid for one of the alleged victims’ private medical care.
During an interview with Sky News, Mr Dowden, a former Conservative chairman himself, stated, “Any allegation of sexual misconduct I take extremely seriously and the Conservative Party has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct. We have an independent complaints mechanism that investigates any allegations.”
In a letter signed by Sir Jake Berry, former chief whip Wendy Morton, and a Downing Street official, it was claimed that the MP in question was allowed to continue offending despite the issue being raised. The letter also stated that there may be up to five victims of this MP, and that the failure to take action enabled him to continue victimizing women. The letter requested an immediate police investigation into the matter.
The Mail on Sunday also reported on a document prepared by a No 10 official, which warned that the Conservative Party’s mishandling of the case may leave them criminally liable.
This recent scandal is just one of many involving sexual misconduct accusations against Conservative MPs. In October, former minister Peter Bone was suspended from the Commons after an independent parliamentary panel upheld an accusation that he exposed himself to a staff member. Crispin Blunt, a former prisons minister, was interviewed by the police just days later over allegations of rape and drug possession. Tamworth fell to Labour in a by-election following the resignation of Chris Pincher, who was found to have groped two men in a private members’ club. All three men deny the allegations against them.
In another case, former Wakefield MP Imran Ahmad Khan was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy, making him the first sitting member of Parliament to be convicted of child sex offences.
Mr Dowden rejected the notion of a cultural problem within Westminster and emphasized the need for strong action and police involvement in criminal cases. The Telegraph has approached Sir Jake Berry, Wendy Morton, and a representative for the Conservative Party for comment.
