Lord Rennard charged with more groping
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Lord Rennard charged with more groping
Panda Tue 26 Feb - 16:37
as 2001.
Mr Lamb has said that both he and Ms Swinson wanted “action to be taken”
after the allegations were made.
Related Articles
Lord Rennard faces a series of accusations from female members of the party
that he molested them. He strenuously denies all the accusations.
There have also been separate claims that a young Lib Dem researcher ran in
tears from Lord Rennard’s room after another incident in a Peterborough hotel in
2004.
The growing scandal has piled pressure on Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime
Minister, who is facing questions over exactly how much he was told about the
claims before they were made public.
Describing the moment Lord Rennard allegedly touched her, Susan said: “We
were having a general chat and Chris was sitting next to me and he was chatting
about people that we knew, people that we knew in common, and advice that he
could give me as to how to be more successful.
“At first I thought it was an accident. His leg brushed against me and then
his hand brushed against my leg. I kind of thought, ‘That’s your imagination’.
“So I moved away a little, then he moved a little closer. And I moved away
again and the brushing of my leg kept continuing so when someone moved off the
sofa that was next to me that meant I was a chair-distance away [so] I moved
again.
“And when he had the opportunity he moved into that chair. I kept moving
further away and eventually I said, ‘Look I’m going to go off to bed’ and he
said, ‘I’ll walk up with you’.
“I thought, ‘No I’m not having this’ so I said, ‘I’m going to go to the
toilet, it’s ok I’ll go up to bed alone’.
“I went to the toilet, came back out and he was stood there at the bottom of
the stairs waiting to walk me up.
“We got to the top of the stairs and he suggested joining him in his room for
another drink. I said no very politely and very firmly and walked away and got
back to my room as quickly as I could.”
Susan said the alleged incident was “extremely distressing” and that her
instant reaction was simply: “I want my daddy”.
The woman went on to say that she feared that by turning down the peer, she
had “knocked her chances of any future success within the party”.
She said that Lord Rennard had an “almighty amount of power” and that he
could “control” people’s future in the Lib Dems.
Asked whether she complained to any senior figures in the party the woman
said she had spoken to Jo Swinson, the women’s minister, Norman Lamb, the health
minister and Baroness Scott, the former president of the party.
“The person who dealt with it in the majority was Jo Swinson who said that
she would get it dealt with.
“I knew that he [Lord Rennard] had been spoken to at the time and that this
would stop. And it appeared to have for a period of time immediately afterwards.
“But it now turns out…that Danny [Danny Alexander, the chief secretary to the
Treasury] was the person who spoke to him and he denied any knowledge of it
happening back then.”
The woman originally made claims about Lord Rennard on Channel 4 News last
week.
The Lib Dems initially insisted that Mr Clegg had known nothing about the
allegations until the Channel 4 News report on Thursday.
On Sunday, however, the Deputy Prime Minister returned from holiday in Spain
to concede that his office had heard "indirect and non-specific concerns" as far
back as 2008.
He said that his then chief of staff Mr Alexander had put the concerns to
Lord Rennard who denied any inappropriate behaviour. The following year the peer
stepped down as chief executive citing ill health.
But yesterday The Daily Telegraph published a 2010 email exchange with Mr
Clegg's chief of staff Jonny Oates, in which it gave details of the dates and
locations of four alleged incidents between 2003 and 2007 involving Lord
Rennard, and made clear it knew the identities of the women who had complained.
It asked whether Mr Clegg was aware of the claims and whether it was true
that Mr Alexander and Lib Dem MP Jo Swinson had looked into them.
Mr Oates responded at the time: “It is untrue to state that Mr Clegg was made
aware of the incidents you allege.
“Given this fact, it is obviously untrue to state that Mr Clegg asked Jo
Swinson or anyone else to carry out an investigation into the incidents that you
allege.”
Susan said Mr Clegg had made a judgment call and “I think he made it wrong”,
adding that she was “unsure” how he had not been made aware of the email between
the Daily Telegraph and Mr Oates.
“I would be disappointed if Jonny hadn’t brought it to his attention and from
what I’ve heard he didn’t bring it to Nick’s attention but I do think that maybe
at that point somebody should have said we’ve got to look at this more
seriously.”
She added: “[Mr Clegg] didn’t know how to deal with it then didn’t deal with
it well.”
She said she welcomed the fact that the police have now become involved and
are speaking to Lib Dem officials about the claims.
Mr Lamb told the Eastern Daily Press that he had advised the woman to take
her complaint to Ms Swinson.
“A woman who I know and who I maintain good relations with talked to me about
[her allegations]. I encouraged her to take it to Jo.
“I knew Jo was dealing with a number of women [in relation to allegations
against Lord Rennard] and I know that Jo was taking it seriously.
“She did speak to Jo, who has now made a statement saying that she referred
the issue on. That resulted in action being taken in the form of [Lord Rennard]
being talked to by Danny Alexander.”
Nick Clegg
Elsewhere
Pictures of the day
Fresh questions for Clegg over the sex scandal
whistleblower
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In Nick Clegg
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Mr Lamb has said that both he and Ms Swinson wanted “action to be taken”
after the allegations were made.
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Lord Rennard faces a series of accusations from female members of the party
that he molested them. He strenuously denies all the accusations.
There have also been separate claims that a young Lib Dem researcher ran in
tears from Lord Rennard’s room after another incident in a Peterborough hotel in
2004.
The growing scandal has piled pressure on Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime
Minister, who is facing questions over exactly how much he was told about the
claims before they were made public.
Describing the moment Lord Rennard allegedly touched her, Susan said: “We
were having a general chat and Chris was sitting next to me and he was chatting
about people that we knew, people that we knew in common, and advice that he
could give me as to how to be more successful.
“At first I thought it was an accident. His leg brushed against me and then
his hand brushed against my leg. I kind of thought, ‘That’s your imagination’.
“So I moved away a little, then he moved a little closer. And I moved away
again and the brushing of my leg kept continuing so when someone moved off the
sofa that was next to me that meant I was a chair-distance away [so] I moved
again.
“And when he had the opportunity he moved into that chair. I kept moving
further away and eventually I said, ‘Look I’m going to go off to bed’ and he
said, ‘I’ll walk up with you’.
“I thought, ‘No I’m not having this’ so I said, ‘I’m going to go to the
toilet, it’s ok I’ll go up to bed alone’.
“I went to the toilet, came back out and he was stood there at the bottom of
the stairs waiting to walk me up.
“We got to the top of the stairs and he suggested joining him in his room for
another drink. I said no very politely and very firmly and walked away and got
back to my room as quickly as I could.”
Susan said the alleged incident was “extremely distressing” and that her
instant reaction was simply: “I want my daddy”.
The woman went on to say that she feared that by turning down the peer, she
had “knocked her chances of any future success within the party”.
She said that Lord Rennard had an “almighty amount of power” and that he
could “control” people’s future in the Lib Dems.
Asked whether she complained to any senior figures in the party the woman
said she had spoken to Jo Swinson, the women’s minister, Norman Lamb, the health
minister and Baroness Scott, the former president of the party.
“The person who dealt with it in the majority was Jo Swinson who said that
she would get it dealt with.
“I knew that he [Lord Rennard] had been spoken to at the time and that this
would stop. And it appeared to have for a period of time immediately afterwards.
“But it now turns out…that Danny [Danny Alexander, the chief secretary to the
Treasury] was the person who spoke to him and he denied any knowledge of it
happening back then.”
The woman originally made claims about Lord Rennard on Channel 4 News last
week.
The Lib Dems initially insisted that Mr Clegg had known nothing about the
allegations until the Channel 4 News report on Thursday.
On Sunday, however, the Deputy Prime Minister returned from holiday in Spain
to concede that his office had heard "indirect and non-specific concerns" as far
back as 2008.
He said that his then chief of staff Mr Alexander had put the concerns to
Lord Rennard who denied any inappropriate behaviour. The following year the peer
stepped down as chief executive citing ill health.
But yesterday The Daily Telegraph published a 2010 email exchange with Mr
Clegg's chief of staff Jonny Oates, in which it gave details of the dates and
locations of four alleged incidents between 2003 and 2007 involving Lord
Rennard, and made clear it knew the identities of the women who had complained.
It asked whether Mr Clegg was aware of the claims and whether it was true
that Mr Alexander and Lib Dem MP Jo Swinson had looked into them.
Mr Oates responded at the time: “It is untrue to state that Mr Clegg was made
aware of the incidents you allege.
“Given this fact, it is obviously untrue to state that Mr Clegg asked Jo
Swinson or anyone else to carry out an investigation into the incidents that you
allege.”
Susan said Mr Clegg had made a judgment call and “I think he made it wrong”,
adding that she was “unsure” how he had not been made aware of the email between
the Daily Telegraph and Mr Oates.
“I would be disappointed if Jonny hadn’t brought it to his attention and from
what I’ve heard he didn’t bring it to Nick’s attention but I do think that maybe
at that point somebody should have said we’ve got to look at this more
seriously.”
She added: “[Mr Clegg] didn’t know how to deal with it then didn’t deal with
it well.”
She said she welcomed the fact that the police have now become involved and
are speaking to Lib Dem officials about the claims.
Mr Lamb told the Eastern Daily Press that he had advised the woman to take
her complaint to Ms Swinson.
“A woman who I know and who I maintain good relations with talked to me about
[her allegations]. I encouraged her to take it to Jo.
“I knew Jo was dealing with a number of women [in relation to allegations
against Lord Rennard] and I know that Jo was taking it seriously.
“She did speak to Jo, who has now made a statement saying that she referred
the issue on. That resulted in action being taken in the form of [Lord Rennard]
being talked to by Danny Alexander.”
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Nick Clegg
Elsewhere
Pictures of the day
Fresh questions for Clegg over the sex scandal
whistleblower
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In Nick Clegg
Clegg vows to act on Rennard claims
Clegg demands 'fairness for the middle'
Wealthy should make 'greater contribution'
Cameron and Clegg
Debt crisis: live
|
Last edited by Panda on Tue 26 Feb - 21:39; edited 1 time in total
Panda- Platinum Poster
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Re: Lord Rennard charged with more groping
AnnaEsse Tue 26 Feb - 21:26
Jim Dickinson @jim_dickinson
Keep your eye on the #telegraph website tonight. Things are about to go nuclear for Clegg
Keep your eye on the #telegraph website tonight. Things are about to go nuclear for Clegg
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Re: Lord Rennard charged with more groping
Panda Tue 26 Feb - 21:50
I find this whole saga distasteful and a dirty tricks exercise, from the Woman who suddenly , after a few years right in the middle of an important Election decide to report Lord Rennard for a bit of groping years ago.!!! Now other females have joined the fray. Nick Clegg forgot to remember that he knew of the situation ,Politics in the U.K. stinks AnnEsse........have you ever known so much sleaze ? According to the 7 o'clock news Clegg has improved his popularity slightly and it is looking likely the LIB Dems will retain the seat.AnnaEsse wrote:Jim Dickinson @jim_dickinson
Keep your eye on the #telegraph website tonight. Things are about to go nuclear for Clegg
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Re: Lord Rennard charged with more groping
Panda Tue 26 Feb - 21:53
MP warned Nick Clegg about Lord Rennard sex claims
Nick Clegg was personally warned by one of his MPs that a senior figure in
the Liberal Democrats might be sexually molesting female members of staff, The
Daily Telegraph can disclose.
Mr Clegg, left, and Lord
Rennard Photo: PA/Rex
Features
By Victoria Ward, Steven Swinford and
Christopher Hope
9:25PM GMT 26 Feb 2013
Sandra Gidley, a former MP and party spokesman, said she told Mr Clegg about
the allegations surrounding Lord Rennard, the party’s former chief executive,
after he was elected as Lib Dem leader in 2007. She said she hoped her comments
would help to “jog” the memory of Mr Clegg, who has previously claimed he only
received “indirect and non-specific” concerns.
The sex scandal widened further on Tuesday as Norman Lamb, a Liberal Democrat
health minister, admitted that an alleged victim had confided in him.
The woman claimed Lord Rennard had touched her inappropriately in a hotel bar
before asking her to follow him to his room. She said she has since been in
touch with nine other women who claim to have been molested by the peer.
Mr Clegg on Tuesday criticised “self-appointed detectives” for probing the
Lord Rennard allegations and said the police should be left to “do their job”.
Lord Rennard on Tuesday said he “refuted” the allegations, adding that he
would “cooperate with any properly constituted inquiry into the claims”.
Related Articles
Mrs Gidley, who lost her Romsey seat in 2010 after a decade as an MP, was a
former health spokesman for the party.
Asked by The Daily Telegraph whether she told Mr Clegg “face-to-face” about
the allegations concerning Lord Rennard, she said: “Yes, that is true but at
this point I don’t want to go any further. I am hoping his memory might be
jogged. Shall we leave it at that?”
She added that it was “inconceivable” that Jo Swinson, now equalities
minister, had not raised the issue with Mr Clegg. Miss Swinson interviewed
alleged victims of Lord Rennard in September 2008.
On Tuesday a former Liberal Democrat councillor, known only as Susan, told
BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme that Lord Rennard had propositioned her at
a training conference in Peterborough in 2008. She said he started acting
inappropriately towards her in a hotel bar, before repeatedly touching her leg.
He then allegedly followed her to the lavatory before asking her back to his
room.
She said she had spoken to Miss Swinson, Mr Lamb and Baroness Scott, the
former president of the party.
Mr Lamb said that he had advised the woman to take her complaint to Miss
Swinson. “She [the alleged victim] did speak to Jo, who has now made a statement
saying that she referred the issue on. That resulted in action being taken in
the form of [Lord Rennard] being talked to by Danny Alexander,” he added.
However, a spokesman for Lord Rennard on Tuesday night insisted that “in 27
years of working for the Liberal Democrats he received no complaint”.
A spokesman for Nick Clegg said: “Sandra Gidley once raised general concerns
with Nick Clegg about Lord Rennard’s conduct. She didn’t know of or raise
specific allegations. As Nick Clegg has said, he was aware of general concerns
which were acted upon by his then chief of staff Danny Alexander.”
Liberal Democrats
Elsewhere
Pictures of the day
Fresh questions for Clegg over the sex scandal
whistleblower
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In Liberal Democrats
Police commissioner election: live results map
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nearer election'
Nick Clegg was personally warned by one of his MPs that a senior figure in
the Liberal Democrats might be sexually molesting female members of staff, The
Daily Telegraph can disclose.
Mr Clegg, left, and Lord
Rennard Photo: PA/Rex
Features
By Victoria Ward, Steven Swinford and
Christopher Hope
9:25PM GMT 26 Feb 2013
Sandra Gidley, a former MP and party spokesman, said she told Mr Clegg about
the allegations surrounding Lord Rennard, the party’s former chief executive,
after he was elected as Lib Dem leader in 2007. She said she hoped her comments
would help to “jog” the memory of Mr Clegg, who has previously claimed he only
received “indirect and non-specific” concerns.
The sex scandal widened further on Tuesday as Norman Lamb, a Liberal Democrat
health minister, admitted that an alleged victim had confided in him.
The woman claimed Lord Rennard had touched her inappropriately in a hotel bar
before asking her to follow him to his room. She said she has since been in
touch with nine other women who claim to have been molested by the peer.
Mr Clegg on Tuesday criticised “self-appointed detectives” for probing the
Lord Rennard allegations and said the police should be left to “do their job”.
Lord Rennard on Tuesday said he “refuted” the allegations, adding that he
would “cooperate with any properly constituted inquiry into the claims”.
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Mrs Gidley, who lost her Romsey seat in 2010 after a decade as an MP, was a
former health spokesman for the party.
Asked by The Daily Telegraph whether she told Mr Clegg “face-to-face” about
the allegations concerning Lord Rennard, she said: “Yes, that is true but at
this point I don’t want to go any further. I am hoping his memory might be
jogged. Shall we leave it at that?”
She added that it was “inconceivable” that Jo Swinson, now equalities
minister, had not raised the issue with Mr Clegg. Miss Swinson interviewed
alleged victims of Lord Rennard in September 2008.
On Tuesday a former Liberal Democrat councillor, known only as Susan, told
BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme that Lord Rennard had propositioned her at
a training conference in Peterborough in 2008. She said he started acting
inappropriately towards her in a hotel bar, before repeatedly touching her leg.
He then allegedly followed her to the lavatory before asking her back to his
room.
She said she had spoken to Miss Swinson, Mr Lamb and Baroness Scott, the
former president of the party.
Mr Lamb said that he had advised the woman to take her complaint to Miss
Swinson. “She [the alleged victim] did speak to Jo, who has now made a statement
saying that she referred the issue on. That resulted in action being taken in
the form of [Lord Rennard] being talked to by Danny Alexander,” he added.
However, a spokesman for Lord Rennard on Tuesday night insisted that “in 27
years of working for the Liberal Democrats he received no complaint”.
A spokesman for Nick Clegg said: “Sandra Gidley once raised general concerns
with Nick Clegg about Lord Rennard’s conduct. She didn’t know of or raise
specific allegations. As Nick Clegg has said, he was aware of general concerns
which were acted upon by his then chief of staff Danny Alexander.”
| ||||||
| ||||||
| ||||||
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Liberal Democrats
Elsewhere
Pictures of the day
Fresh questions for Clegg over the sex scandal
whistleblower
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In Liberal Democrats
Police commissioner election: live results map
Clegg's fees pledge apology
Top 10 coolest offices in the UK
Hughes: 'The wealthy must pay fairer taxes'
Lord Oakeshott: 'Lib Dems will decide leadership
nearer election'
|
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Re: Lord Rennard charged with more groping
Panda Thu 28 Feb - 16:29
Five women make formal complaints about Lord Rennard
At least five Liberal Democrat women have contacted a Scotland Yard hotline
to make complaints about Lord Rennard, it emerged today.
560
315
TelegraphPlayer_9899613
By Peter Dominiczak and Victoria
Ward
1:35PM GMT 28 Feb 2013
It is understood that the alleged victims will be interviewed by police
within the next few days.
Sky News reported today that "half a dozen" women had called the hotline.
Among them is Alison Smith, an Oxford university lecturer, who says she first
complained about Lord Rennard's conduct in 2007.
She said: "I'm not alone. I'd say I'm one of five women who want to give
evidence to the police. Other people have already given evidence."
"Plenty more are speaking to the Lib Dem internal inquiry. I don't know if
some of their witness statements will be handed over to the police."
Related Articles
At least five Liberal Democrat women have contacted a Scotland Yard hotline
to make complaints about Lord Rennard, it emerged today.
560
315
TelegraphPlayer_9899613
By Peter Dominiczak and Victoria
Ward
1:35PM GMT 28 Feb 2013
It is understood that the alleged victims will be interviewed by police
within the next few days.
Sky News reported today that "half a dozen" women had called the hotline.
Among them is Alison Smith, an Oxford university lecturer, who says she first
complained about Lord Rennard's conduct in 2007.
She said: "I'm not alone. I'd say I'm one of five women who want to give
evidence to the police. Other people have already given evidence."
"Plenty more are speaking to the Lib Dem internal inquiry. I don't know if
some of their witness statements will be handed over to the police."
Related Articles
Panda- Platinum Poster
-
Number of posts : 30555
Age : 67
Location : Wales
Warning :
Registration date : 2010-03-27
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