UK’s sleaze scandal widens as new claim hits May’s top aide
THE scandal surrounding Britain’s political class deepened with more allegations of sexual harassment, abuse of power and other misdeeds, including new claims involving a key ally of Prime Minister Theresa May.
The allegations, dating back more than a decade, involve behaviour that ranges from inappropriate touching and sending suggestive text messages, to matters serious enough to be reported to police for possible prosecution.
First Secretary of State Damian Green, a senior cabinet figure who is in effect Mrs May’s deputy, emphatically denied a ‘Sunday Times’ report that police had found “extreme” pornography on his computer during an investigation nine years ago. He said he is the victim of a smear campaign.
Mr Green already was being investigated for alleged inappropriate advances on a Conservative Party activist. He called the ‘Sunday Times’ story “completely untrue” and said it came from an untrustworthy, tainted police source.
“The allegations about the material and computer, now nine years old, are false, disreputable political smears from a discredited police officer acting in flagrant breach of his duty to keep the details of police investigations confidential, and amount to little more than an unscrupulous character assassination,” Mr Green said.
An official inquiry into Mr Green’s behaviour started after a woman complained that he touched her knee at a meeting in a pub, and later sent her an inappropriate text message.
The allegations swirling through the British government in the aftermath of Hollywood’s Harvey Weinstein abuse scandal go far beyond Mr Green and former defence secretary Michael Fallon, who stepped down last week after reports of inappropriate behaviour by him surfaced.
A rising number of legislators from the Conservative and Labour parties face similar allegations, and politicians in Scotland and Wales have been caught up as well.
The Welsh government’s cabinet secretary for communities and children, Carl Sargeant, said he resigned on Friday after allegations of his misconduct were made.
In Scotland, Mark McDonald, a minister for childcare from the Scottish National Party, resigned over past actions. He apologised and said behaviour he had thought might be “humorous” or “friendly” had made people uncomfortable.
MP Charlie Elphicke has been suspended from the Conservative Party because of what the party calls “serious allegations” that have been referred to police. He has denied wrongdoing.
Last night, Tory MP Chris Pincher resigned as a government whip and referred himself to police after newspaper allegations about his conduct.