Labour MP quits front bench after cover-up tribunal claim
LABOUR’S shadow communities minister has quit Sir Keir Starmer’s front bench over ex-MP Mike Hill’s sex harassment tribunal.
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen yesterday accused Kate Hollern, then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s parliamentary private secretary, of warning him not to get involved in the case after a parliamentary staffer told him of the allegations. In a statement later, Ms Hollern, 66, said: “I am absolutely clear that any complaint of sexual harassment should be treated extremely seriously and had this been raised with me, I would have taken the necessary action.
“It was never my intention to undermine the support the complainant was receiving, which I was unaware of at the time.”
She added: “If that is what Mr Bridgen was led to believe, I apologise for my error in judgment in having the conversation.”
The accusation came at the employment tribunal where the ex-Westminster employee, known only as Ms A, claimed Mr Hill sexually harassed, assaulted and victimised her for nearly 18 months. Mr Hill, 58, denies the allegations.
Mr Bridgen, 56, told tribunal judges: “For Kate Hollern to come and try and intimidate me, I totally believe it was to isolate Ms A from any help and support. I felt that was pretty appalling, I felt it was malicious.”
Ms A said Mr Bridgen told her that Blackburn MP Ms Hollern used “scare tactics”. She told the tribunal: “Ms Hollern said that many in the Labour Party were of the opinion that Mr Bridgen and I were having an affair and she advised him to keep away from me, as it would be a shame if it got out in the papers.”
Claiming sexual harassment and victimisation, Ms A said Mr Hill rubbed himself against her on two occasions and also touched her breasts and bottom. She claimed he also texted her saying he wanted to marry her and “craved her body”.
Mr Hill was suspended from the Labour Party in September 2019 over the allegations, but was reinstated to fight the December general election that year.
His resignation as Hartlepool MP in March this year triggered last week’s byelection when the Tories took the former “Red Wall” seat for the first since 1974. The hearing, due to last eight days,
continues.