100 peers try to block Lord Lester’s ‘unfair’ suspension

AS MANY as 100 peers are expected to try to block Lord Lester’s suspension for sexual harassment amid concerns that his accuser had a “malign motive” for making the claims.

Lord Pannick QC has led the calls to reverse the standards watchdog’s decision to ban Lord Lester from the House of Lords until 2022 and has tabled an amendment to today’s vote on the “unfair” suspension.

Lord Lester, a former Lib Dem peer and human rights lawyer, allegedly told Jasvinder Sanghera, a women’s rights campaigner: “Sleep with me and I will make you a baroness.”

One Conservative peer who has not yet decided how to vote said: “There is a growing groundswell of support for Lord Lester. The perception is that he hasn’t had a fair trial.”

Lord Pannick told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The basic element of fairness is that you have the opportunity to test the evidence put against you. You can ask questions to establish if it’s a misrecollection, malign motive.”

Baroness Ros Altmann said peers may have to review the process if “some of the best legal minds in the land” think it is unsatisfactory.

David Hooper, Ms Sanghera’s lawyer, said: “All peers, including Lord Lester, have accepted this procedure for people to make complaints but they don’t seem to like it when the decision is against them.”