‘Cover-up’ row hitting Starmer on home turf

The Prime Minister has been having a tough time of late — but it’s not all plain sailing for the Labour leader either. As he tries (and largely fails) to put clear blue water between his party and the Tories in the polls, I hear of further embarrassment on another front. This month, two female former staffers called on Labour to end its use of confidentiality agreements to ‘cover up’ sexual harassment allegations.

Corbynistas Georgie Robertson and Laura Murray had reported a male colleague for ‘inappropriate’ behaviour and faced pressure from the party to sign nondisclosure agreements (NDAs).

They refused and chose to resign from the party without pay-offs.

It was a bad look for starmer as his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, had pledged a Labour government would ban such gagging clauses in the workplace.

starmer’s humiliation has now deepened. More than 60 women, including Labour councillors and party members, have sent an open letter to him, published in his local newspaper, the Camden New Journal (CNJ).

The letter demands he stays true to Corbyn’s NDA pledge.

‘Violence against women and girls is endemic,’ they write.

The letter’s signatories include Georgie Robertson’s mother, the author Kathy Lette.

outgoing councillor Robertson told the CNJ: ‘I felt proud to be a Labour member when it was announced in government we would legislate to ban NDAs. I assume this is still Labour’s policy because I’m not aware of Keir [starmer] saying anything to the contrary, and I’m sure he would support that policy.’

so, why the silence, sir Keir?