Labour peer loses role after dinner scandal

A SENIOR Labour peer has been effectively sacked from his frontbench role after attending the controversial Presidents Club dinner.

Jeremy Corbyn asked Lord Mendelsohn to “step back” from his role as Shadow Business and International Trade spokesman in the upper chamber, after he attended the men-only charity event where hostesses were allegedly groped and sexually harassed.

The Presidents Club has disbanded and a number of guests have faced a backlash for attending, including Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi, who has also faced strong criticism.

University of Bolton vice-chancellor Professor George Holmes confirmed he went to the event but claimed he felt “uncomfortable”.

Charities and businesses have sought to dissociate themselves from the Presidents Club following the disclosures in the

Meanwhile, veteran comedian Jimmy Tarbuck has criticised hen parties at airports in an interview over the dinner scandal.

The 77-year-old said that he “never saw anything untoward” when he led a toast at the controversial men-only fundraiser.

He told Sky News through the intercom system at his home that those condemning the event should look at the actions of hen parties.

“Tell them to go to London airport and see hen parties going on if they want to see bad behaviour,” he added.

“It has to be both ways, it can’t be all men that they are including.

“I hear on good report hen parties might be banned on some airlines, they should look into that.”

He added: “I can’t understand how sick children should suffer from it.

“I did the loyal toast, which was a pleasure, and thanked them for supporting the children’s home and that was it and then I came home.

“Were there a lot of pretty girls there? Of course there were, there were over 100 of them, all looking nice, but I never saw and never heard any bad language or insinuations to them and I left after I had done my bit.”

A number of charities, including Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, which have benefited from the £20m raised by the organisation over more than 30 years, said they would refund previous donations in light of the scandal.

Businessman David Meller has also quit his roles at the Department for Education and the Mayor’s Fund for London over his involvement in organising the event.