Knight: I will not take it lying down
A TORY councillor in Britain, who was removed from her committee role after commenting that sexual harassment claims at the notorious Presidents Club charity dinner were “exaggerated”, told Cyprus Today: “I will not take it lying down.”
North Cyprus “swallow” and renowned businesswoman Tina Knight caused controversy after publicly dismissing a Financial Times (FT) undercover report on alleged sexual harassment at the prestigious charity dinner at London’s Dorchester Hotel last month.
The backlash and “bullying” has now seen her replaced as chair of Uttlesford Council’s standards committee, in Essex, following a 17-2 vote on Thursday in what she described as a “kangaroo court”.
Ms Knight made the comments on January 24, on BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine programme, during a debate with FT reporter Madison Marriage, whose story about hostesses being “groped, sexually harassed and propositioned” caused a furore in the UK.
The part-time resident and Karaman home-owner of more than 30 years said the claims, which included “arms around the waist” and hand-holding, “belittles real sexual harassment . . . rape and that sort of thing”.
She told Cyprus Today yesterday that political correctness in Britain was “getting out of hand” and was “insidious”.
“People can’t open their mouths,” she said, adding she had many backers who had organised a petition of support but were “not allowed to talk”.
Some 70 of her opponents protested outside the council building with placards on January 27 calling for her to stand down, and the council “caved in”, she said.
“They said I condoned sexual harassment. The next thing, I get a call from the council leader saying ‘you must resign immediately’.
“By attacking me, women are actually shooting themselves in the foot,” she said, adding she had a major role in representing women in her work.
Having founded Nighthawk Electronics in 1985, she was presented with the Women in Business award by then prime minister Margaret Thatcher in 1988. She also was named “Britain’s leading female electronics executive” by Electronic Times. A former Trustee of the Eating Disorders Association, she was recognised as UK Business Pioneer at the Global Summit of Women in London in 1998.