Lib Dems suspend Chris Rennard amid new inquiry into sexual harassment claims | Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrat colleague Chris Rennard has been suspended from the party amid a new investigation into sexual harassment allegations.
The party said it had been advised that the 2013 investigation into four women’s allegations against Lord Rennard was “flawed in a number of respects”.
The party added that Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey believes Rennard, 65, should not be a member of the House of Lords.
In contrast, Rennard, the former leader of the party who became eligible for life in 1999, pointed out that a series of investigations by police and lawyers concluded that the allegations against him could not be proven.
He had previously said he was sorry for anyone “accidentally encroaching” on his “personal space”.
Three of the women who took part in the initial claim welcomed the move as the party’s “first signs of change”.
The party’s former deputy leader Alison Goldsworthy, academic Alison Smith and Nick Clegg’s former advisor Bridget Harris issued a joint statement following the latest developments.
“We decided to raise our voices in 2013 so that the next generation of women can safely participate in politics.
“We did not expect a fair investigation to take this long and hope the next steps will finally bring the matter to rest.”
The fourth complainant, former councilor Susan Gaszczak, resigned from the party in 2014 following the initial investigation.
He said at the time that he “could no longer remain a member of a party that found it acceptable for its then-chairman to invite me to his hotel room in order to further my political career.”
A Liberal Democrat spokesman said: “Rennard has been stripped of the Liberal Democrat whip in the House of Lords and his party membership has been suspended and the party is conducting a new investigation into these allegations.
“The party received legal advice that the investigation into the allegations against Rennard in 2013 was flawed in many respects.
“Ed Davey has made it clear that he believes Rennard should not be a member of the House of Lords and that it should be made easier for his peers to be expelled from the House of Lords for serious misconduct.”
A 2013 review by senior barrister Alistair Webster KC concluded that the case against Rennard had less than a 50% chance of being proven beyond reasonable doubt.
But in a statement summarizing its findings, it said there was “generally convincing” evidence of “behaviour that violated the complainants’ personal space and autonomy”.
Responding to the latest restraining order, Rennard said: “All allegations made against me were investigated by the Metropolitan police force in 2013 in what one of the complainants described as a ‘thorough and professional investigation’.
“After speaking to everyone involved and considering all the evidence, they decided not to refer the file to the Crown Prosecution Service and took no further action.
“Following a very comprehensive appeal of every complaint and every piece of evidence relating to me, a full investigation into all the allegations was launched by an independent lawyer, Alistair Webster KC.
“In the report he submitted to the party in December 2013, it was concluded that there was not enough evidence for a disciplinary investigation.
“There was no word ‘credible’ in the report he presented. His report was accepted by the relevant party body in January 2014.
“A further investigation was conducted by another independent lawyer into whether there were any grounds for disciplinary action against me and concluded that there was not.
“This conclusion was accepted by the party in August 2014, when all disciplinary proceedings against me ended.”
