Labour MP ‘tried to scare me from helping colleague’
TRIBUNAL HEARS OF ‘MALICIOUS’ AFFAIR CLAIMS MADE TO COUNTY POLITICIAN
NORTH West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen claims a Labour colleague made “malicious” remarks designed to “scare” him away from helping a female parliamentary worker who raised allegations of sexual harassment, according to evidence before a tribunal.
Tory Mr Bridgen told the Central London Employment Tribunal that Labour MP Kate Hollern suggested he “keep away” from the complainant because “her party colleagues thought they were having an affair”.
The ongoing tribunal is hearing evidence in relation to a woman, known only as Ms A, who claims former Labour Hartlepool MP Mike Hill carried out a campaign of sexual harassment and bullying against her over a 16-month period while he was in office.
Mr Hill denies the allegations against him.
Giving evidence remotely on Wednesday, Mr Bridgen said Ms A had confided in him that she was allegedly being “sexually harassed and sexually assaulted”.
He told the tribunal this had left him feeling “pretty upset”, but Ms A had initially not wanted him to intervene.
Mr Bridgen said he observed the impact on Ms A’s “mental health and wellbeing”.
In his written evidence, a copy of which was provided to the PA news agency by Ms A’s lawyers, Mr Bridgen said he had advised Ms A to seek legal advice and he had also approached the Leader of the House of Commons for advice, passing on an email response.
He said in his statement that on one occasion he was approached by Blackburn MP Ms Hollern, “while sitting on the terrace of the House of Commons”, who said she needed to speak to him away from other MPs.
He wrote: “Kate Hollern, MP said: ‘Everyone is saying in the Labour Party that you are having an affair with [Ms A] and if I were you I would keep away from her, because you have a wife and baby and you would not want to lose them if it got in the papers.’
“I told Kate Hollern, MP: ‘This is rubbish.’ In truth I was shocked, as Ms A is only a friend who asked me for some help and I regarded Kate Hollern MP’s remarks as malicious and designed to scare me away from offering Ms A any help or support.”
On Wednesday, Mr Bridgen was asked by tribunal member David Carter if this part of his statement represented “tittle tattle”.
The MP rejected this suggestion, say
ing it was “to isolate the applicant (Ms A) from any help and support”.
He added that it was “pretty appalling” and said: “It was quite malicious and I don’t respond well to intimidation like that I can assure you.”
In his written statement, Mr Bridgen said he had informed Ms A of what Ms Hollern had told him, with Ms A later telling him over the phone “she was ill and would not be coming into work”.
He said he later wrote a letter marked as “To Whom It May Concern” for Ms A setting out previous events that aimed to “support” her and for her to use “as she deemed appropriate”.
After this he had “no further involvement” with Ms A while she was working in Parliament, Mr Bridgen said in his statement.
In Ms A’s written statement to the tribunal, also provided to PA, she said she had confided in Ms Hollern about the alleged sexual harassment.
On a later occasion, when Ms A was upset about alleged bullying, she was approached by Ms Hollern, who advised her to go on sickness leave.
Ms A added: “Ms Hollern advised me to save as much money as possible and in terms of the sexual harassment she said that many people in Parliament had put in complaints in the past of sexual harassment and nothing was ever done about it, which deterred me from seeking any further advice on this at that time.”
In a statement released later on Wednesday, Ms Hollern said: “I am absolutely clear that any complaint of
sexual harassment should be treated extremely seriously and had this been raised with me I would have taken the necessary action.
“It was never my intention to undermine the support the complainant was receiving, which I was unaware of at the time.
“If that is what Mr Bridgen was led to believe, I apologise for my error in judgement in having the conversation.”
The tribunal also heard on Wednesday that Mr Hill confessed to having “feelings” for Ms A and regretted, but accepted, they would not have a physical relationship.
It has already been told the ex-MP allegedly made Ms A feel “scared, extremely confused, violated and powerless”.
She claimed that Mr Hill sent her texts with messages such as “I crave your body”, before progressing to groping her and rubbing his private parts against her body in his London flat.
On Wednesday, under ongoing cross-examination, she claimed he sent her messages saying “I love you”, adding that Mr Hill “wanted a sexual relationship”. Ms A rejected suggestions her claims were not true.
Mr Hill was suspended from the Labour Party in September 2019 over the allegations, but was reinstated in October of that year to fight the general election. He resigned from his seat in March, triggering a by-election that saw his seat taken by the Conservatives. The tribunal, which is due to last a week-and-a-half, continues.