Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)

MY HELL AT HANDS OF DISGUSTING TORY MPs

» Former activist says she was raped by party employee » Senior figures targeted drunk volunteer women » She was hounded out and has no faith they’ll tackle abuse

- BY GERALDINE McKELVIE geraldine.mckelvie@trinitymir­ror.com

SEX PEST CULTURE THAT GOES TO HEART OF THE CONSERVATI­VES

A FORMER Tory activist who alleged she was raped by a party employee today claims senior Conservati­ves have repeatedly ignored a culture of sex abuse and harassment within the party.

Lisa Wade claimed she was so violently attacked she was left with whiplash-style injuries – but the Crown Prosecutio­n Service decided not to take her case to court.

She reveals that, by then, she had already made an official complaint to the party about drunk young girls being targeted by sex pests while campaignin­g on the Tories’ infamous ‘battle bus’ before the 2015 election.

But Lisa, in her twenties, claims she was hounded out for what she did – and says many of the worst offenders still hold senior roles in the party.

Waiving her right to anonymity, she said: “I’ve been through hell and back. I have no faith the party will take any report of sexual abuse seriously.

“Months after I quit in disgust they knew I had reported my rape to the police and still had a duty of care towards me, but I was ignored.”

Lisa reveals she witnessed some Tory senior figures targeting drunk girls and behaving inappropri­ately as they toured the country’s marginal seats on the Road Trip campaign during 2015 election canvassing.

She says she found one teenage girl sobbing in the toilets after an influentia­l party figure tried to attack her.

INTIMIDATE­D

Lisa also claims a senior staff member tried to force himself on her during the same campaign, but she managed to push him off.

She complained about this to the party on the understand­ing it would be treated in confidence, but says she was repeatedly intimidate­d by his pals.

Then she felt she had no choice but to quit.

But just months later she claims she was raped by another Tory employee who was arrested and charged before the case was dropped by the CPS. He claimed the encounter was consensual.

After contacting police, Lisa made an official report about the incident to Conservati­ve officials but heard nothing for months.

Messages seen by the Sunday Mirror reveal she was branded a “sociopath” and a “liar” by a female campaigner.

Lisa said: “The culture of abuse and harassment is so entrenched. I’ve seen serving MPs target girls who were so drunk they couldn’t stand.

“The teenager in the toilets sobbed as she asked me, ‘is it always like this?’ It broke my heart to tell her that, yes, it was.

“It made me realise I had to say something, that I had to try to stop this, but it only made me more of a target.”

She had no idea what was in store when she joined the Tories while studying for a university degree, hoping to one day become an MP. She made friends with fellow activist Elliot Johnson, who killed himself in 2015 amid allegation­s of bullying within the party.

When she speaks of party events, there is one common theme. She told us: “I always remember all the young girls being really drunk, yet the middle-aged men seemed far more sober.”

She continued to campaign for the Conservati­ves when she moved to another university

town to study for a masters. As the 2015 election approached, Lisa was recruited to travel on the battle bus, which saw activists tour marginal constituen­cies attempting to drum up Tory support.

The bus attracted controvers­y after claims it breached election spending rules. Yet Lisa says the real scandal was what happened to the young women who travelled on it.

She said: “It was the most surreal situation. Lots of us were students with no money or power, and suddenly we were around all these influentia­l, wealthy people.

“At first, it seemed like a brilliant opportunit­y.

“We’d work hard all day and then in the evening there was as much free food and alcohol as you could ever hope for. MPs would pass us cigars as we sang God Save the Queen together, downing the free expensive wine. It was like having a passport to another world.” But the novelty soon wore off. She said: “I quickly realised lots of MPs and senior figures saw young girls as fair game.

“I made a mental note of the MPs who seemed the most predatory and sought to avoid them. One in particular always went for the drunkest girl in the room. If anyone said anything, he’d threaten to sue them.

“There were even rumours he’d got injunction­s to stop victims speaking out. When you are young and naive, with no money nor experience, and you want to get ahead in politics, that’s a terrifying thought.”

Yet Lisa couldn’t avoid everyone. In one frightenin­g episode at a hotel in a marginal constituen­cy, she was targeted by an official who tried to force himself on her. She said: “I managed to get away from him but I felt sick to my stomach. I knew he was dangerous and I had to make the party aware. I was assured the matter would be treated in confidence but I believe my name was leaked to him because I was soon being hounded by his friends. They threatened to follow me home, and told me I’d be sued. It was a hate campaign.”

STRUGGLE

Sickened, Lisa quit the party, leaving her political dreams in tatters – but worse was still to come.

Some months after her experience­s on the battle bus came her encounter with the man she claims raped her.

An acquaintan­ce from the party, he texted to ask if he could come round to her flat for a visit. She agreed. But she’d barely opened the door to him when she alleges he leapt on her and pinned her to her bed, putting his

hands around her throat. Lisa said: “I went into survival mode. I really thought I’d die. I tried to struggle. I was flailing and screaming, hoping neighbours might hear. But I realised I was no match for his strength. I thought it would never end.

“This was a man with whom I thought I had common ground. When I first met him, he’d seemed quite charming. But he knew all the rumours about me. No one had taken me seriously when I’d made my first complaint.”

Lisa went to work next morning with what felt like whiplash injuries.

Her boss instantly sensed something was wrong. She blurted out what had happened and was persuaded to go to police. After her alleged attacker was arrested and charged, no senior Tory party figures contacted her – but former fellow activists accused her of “targeting” the man.

In disgust, she reported the alleged rape to Parliament this August.

She was assured by a clerk the matter would be referred to Commons leader Andrea Leadsom and the then chief whip Gavin Williamson.

But she heard nothing for over three months. Mrs Leadsom left her a voicemail on Friday, but called from a withheld number and left no contact details. Lisa said: “I was at rock bottom. One friend found me just before I washed down two packets of antidepres­sants with a bottle of wine.

“Those close to me were so worried I’d do something to hurt myself – but the Conservati­ve Party couldn’t have cared less about me. Thanks to the way I have been treated, I will never be involved in politics again.”

Andrea Leadsom said last night: “I am very concerned about any claims of sexual abuse, harassment and bullying. I was not aware of this case until last week. I’m sorry we couldn’t speak on Friday and I hope we can talk soon.”

Gavin Williamson says the parliament­ary clerk didn’t pass on the rape allegation to him and he wasn’t aware of it.

I realised I had to try to stop this, but it only made me more of a target

LISA WADE TORY ACTIVIST WHO REPORTED SEX PESTS TO PARTY

 ??  ?? TOO LATE
Leadsom voicemail 3 months after complaint
TOO LATE Leadsom voicemail 3 months after complaint
 ??  ?? RAPE CLAIM But CPS dropped her case
RAPE CLAIM But CPS dropped her case
 ??  ?? BUS OF SHAME Young activists seen as fair game
BUS OF SHAME Young activists seen as fair game

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