EX-MP to consult lawyers after panel clears him of sexual misconduct claim
ROSS Thomson, the former Scottish Conservative MP, is to consult his lawyers after an independent panel cleared him of an allegation of sexual misconduct made by a former Scottish Labour MP.
The ruling is the first by the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) set up to investigate claims of inappropriate behaviour by MPS in the wake of the so-called “Pestminster” scandal that emerged following the sex abuse allegations in Hollywood in 2017.
Last October, Kathryn Stone, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, cleared Mr Thomson of an allegation made by Paul Sweeney, who claimed the Conservative had “groped” him in a Commons bar in October 2018.
Mr Thomson, who was the Tory MP for Aberdeen South from 2017 to 2019 and helped run Boris Johnson’s successful party leadership campaign, admitted he had been drunk at the time but strenuously denied the allegations made against him.
Mr Sweeney, the former Labour MP for Glasgow North East and who is now a candidate for the party at the forthcoming Holyrood election, appealed the Commissioner’s decision to the IEP.
In a report, it said it had considered each of Mr Sweeney’s five grounds of appeal “with some care” but believed there was no merit in any of them and so dismissed the appeal.
Sir Stephen Irwin, a former Lord Justice of Appeal who chairs the IEP, said: “The panel made the decision in this first case guided by the principles of natural justice, fairness for all parties, transparency and proportionality, and will treat all further cases with the same regard and diligence.
“We understand the seriousness of, and the harm caused by, bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct. We are rigorously independent, impartial and objective, acting without any political input or influence.”
Mr Thomson, 33, welcomed the IEP’S ruling, saying: “I find it astonishing Mr Sweeney had the brass neck to appeal the Commissioner’s original decision, which was based on extensive evidence, including witness statements and CCTV footage, contradicting his story.”
He added: “I hope today’s decision finally marks the end of the smear campaign against me. l intend to restart legal discussions now that the appeal process has concluded.”
A spokesman for Mr Sweeney, 32, said he noted that the IEP had upheld the complaint that Mr Thomson had “invaded his personal space without invitation, had leaned on him, repeatedly put his arms around him, and engaged in inappropriate and unwelcome personal touching for some minutes.”
Noting how the Commissioner had dismissed the claim that Mr Sweeney had made his allegations maliciously, the spokesman added: “We are considering the implications of the decision in full and have no further comment at this time.”