Married Conservative MP had love child with his Westminster aide

A MARRIED Conservative MP had a secret love child with a former aide following a workplace romance, it emerged yesterday.

Huw Merriman, who is married with three children, is alleged to have fathered a son with a former employee after she started working in his office in Westminster three years ago.

The 44-year-old MP for Bexhill and Battle is believed to have started the fling with a 29-year-old woman shortly after being elected to Parliament in May 2015. The woman, who has since left his office to resume studies at university, gave birth to the child in 2016.

Mr Merriman is said to have seen the son only a handful of times and is not named on the child’s birth certificate.

The affair is believed to have ended and Mr Merriman’s wife is said to be “fully aware of the situation”.

Mr Merriman was unavailable when approached by The Daily Telegraph yesterday. A source with knowledge of the affair told The Sun: “Huw... started the affair while she was working as his assistant and it carried on after she moved to finish her training. She later gave birth. The relationship with [her] is now over. Huw has stayed with his wife who is fully aware of the situation.”

Mr Merriman was previously a barrister at Lehman Brothers, which collapsed in the 2008 financial crash. He was previously accused by a former colleague at the investment bank of sexual harassment and unfair dismissal following an alleged one-night stand, although the case was later dropped.

In the wake of the Westminster sexual harassment scandal last year, Theresa May launched a strict new code of conduct to which all elected officials and staff are expected to adhere.

Separately, Andrea Leadsom, the Leader of the House of Commons, is pushing ahead with a new complaints process for parliamentary staff which will enable staff to come forward if they have been bullied or sexually harassed.