Lib Dems halt Lord Rennard sex inquiry as police step in to investigate harassment claims
- Scotland Yard made request which will give police free hand to investigate
- Lord Rennard denies allegations of improper behaviour
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Liberal Democrats have suspended a sex harassment inquiry into senior peer Lord Rennard – to give police a free hand to investigate the claims.
The party confirmed Scotland Yard made the request over claims that former Lib Dem chief executive Lord Rennard behaved improperly to female members.
A Lib Dem spokesman said: ‘The police said it would be better if we suspended our investigation.
Probe: The party has confirmed police are to investigate claims made against Lord Rennard
They told us, “We’re at the point where we are probably going to start talking to the same people so we’d better make sure it’s just one person asking the questions.”
‘So we have stood our inquiry down for the time being.’
Lord Rennard has strenuously denied allegations of improper behaviour, which were raised several years ago.
At the party conference in Brighton this weekend, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said party bosses had ‘let people down’ over the way the complaints were dealt with.
Speaking on International Women’s Day on Friday, he said: ‘The women involved feel let down. They deserved to have allegations properly dealt with.’
A separate inquiry into party procedures for dealing with sex harassment complaints is continuing, a party spokesman said.
But Lib Dem president Tim Farron, who said the party ‘screwed up’ over the handling of the allegations, is under pressure to reform systems now.
Meanwhile, Mr Clegg’s wife Miriam will not be in Brighton to see him make his keynote speech today – because she is preparing for a birthday party for one of their three children.
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Any internal enquiry can only be viewed as interference with the police investigation. Those arrogant, insufferable politicians involved in this internal enquiry should stop what they are doing, hand everything over and shut up. If they do otherwise they should be arrested.
- dave , falmouth, 10/3/2013 08:28
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