Councillor kept trying to get intomybed,womanclaims
A WOMAN claims it took all her strength to fend off a council chief who she says tried to clamber into bed with her after a boozy night out in Glasgow.
The then-SNP party colleague alleges former Edinburgh city planning chief Lewis Ritchie ignored her repeated pleas to leave her alone as he tried to talk his way into her bed.
Councillor Ritchie, 34, who has since quit the SNP, vehemently denies her version of events and instead accused the party of launching a political smear against him.
The claims relate to a night during the SNP autumn conference in Glasgow last October.
His accuser says she and three other party members were staying in a city flat on their first night at the conference. All four had been out partying with Cllr Ritchie.
The accuser said he called to ask if he could stay on the sofa as he was “too drunk” to get back to Edinburgh.
She said: “I didn’t feel entirely comfortable about this ... but reluctantly agreed. In the middle of the night, I was awoken by bright light from the hall flooding into my room. Lewis, wearing only boxers, came in.”
She added: “He repeatedly attempted to climb into the bed.
“It took all my strength to prevent him and I told him to stop several times which he ignored, at one point even suggesting, ‘We’ll just have a cuddle’.
“Eventually, after I persistently demanded he leave, he did.”
When confronted about the allegations Cllr Ritchie admitted drunkenly stumbling into the woman’s room, but he strenuously denies trying to get into bed and any sexual harassment.
His accuser alleges he has made repeated attempts to contact her since despite her warnings not to – something he also denies.
Cllr Ritchie quit the party last month and announced his intention to represent the Leith Walk ward as an Independent.
His accuser says his resignation from the SNP motivated her to speak out as his actions effectively negated an official investigation.
“Lewis has removed the complainant’s right to the due process of a disciplinary committee by resigning from the party to avoid one,” she said.
While none of the allegations were reported to police they were raised with SNP council group leader Adam McVey.
Cllr Ritchie denied being a sex pest in an interview last month but admitted to having a drinking problem.
He has now accused his former party of orchestrating a political smear campaign against him.
He said: “I’ve already denied that these leaked allegations are true. I can only conclude that the reason they have been made again in the press is to pressure me into resigning so that a by-election can be triggered and the SNP can regain its position as the largest party in the council.”
Cllr Ritchie said a police or Standards Commission for Scotland investigation would be the appropriate forum to look at the claims, rather than the media.
He claims his version of events at the conference were accepted by the party at the time, when he agreed to go on sick leave.
Last month, the SNP confirmed sexual harassment claims against Ritchie – and a further “incident” at the party conference.