EXONERATED Campaign chief at centre of sex pest claims in toxic People’s Vote feud
A BITTER power struggle at the top of the doomed campaign for a second referendum on EU membership burst into the open last night after a top official was cleared of sexual harassment allegations made by allies of former No 10 spin doctor Alastair Campbell.
The meltdown at the top of the People’s Vote organisation – which conceded defeat after Boris Johnson’s landslide Election win– started in October when this newspaper published emails from Mr Campbell and fellow Labour veteran Peter Mandelson which revealed they were plotting a ‘Blairite coup’ to topple campaign chairman Roland Rudd.
Multi- millionaire PR guru Mr Rudd responded by sacking two Blairite executives – campaign director James McGrory and communications chief Tom Baldwin – and installing his ally Patrick Heneghan in Mr McGrory’s job.
But Mr Heneghan was forced to step down after harassment allegations were made against him by three female members of staff.
A mass staff walkout and a vote of no confidence then led to Mr Rudd standing down as chairman.
But now Mr Heneghan has been exonerated, saying: ‘I’m glad this has come to an end. Its been very distressing especially when my family were pulled into it. Now I just want to go back to work.’
One of Mr Heneghan’s friends accused members of Mr Campbell’s faction of being ‘sociopaths’ who had ‘tried to destroy him’.
And last night allies of Mr Rudd described the finding as a ‘moral victory’ for the campaign, even though it failed in its mission to force a second referendum.
Mr Johnson’s Election win, which has paved the way for Brexit to take place by the end of January, has led to the People’s Vote campaign being scrapped.
It will be rebranded early next year to refocus on the social issues it wants to be prioritised in Brexit talks.
Acknowledging the new political reality, Mr Baldwin said last week: ‘ It now appears that for all the marches, donations and letter writing that took place, the People’s Vote campaign will not succeed.
‘The actions of Roland Rudd and his boardroom coup effectively disabled the campaign.’
The investigation into Mr Heneghan’s conduct by legal firm Farrer & Co heard claims that his opponents in the campaign tried to ‘dig dirt’ on him and that, after his appointment, he had received a number of threats to ruin his reputation unless he stood down.
The case was dropped after no employees came forward with any evidence against Mr Heneghan.
A friend of Mr Rudd – brother of former Tory Cabinet Minister Amber Rudd – said: ‘ The whole thing was extraordinary. They [ those making the allegations] refused to talk to Farrers even after they extended the deadline for evidence.’
One of Mr Heneghan’s friends described opponents in the Campbell and Mandelson camp as ‘sociopaths’ and said: ‘ The obsessive ringleaders sought t o destroy Patrick to try to regain control of the campaign and to teach Rudd and Heneghan a lesson.
‘All of the allegations were given to the media at the same time they were given to the campaign.’
However, a source in the Campbell camp said: ‘The investigation only ceased because they made clear it would be a whitewash.’
Emails published i n October revealed that Mr Campbell said of the power struggle with Mr Rudd: ‘I do not see how this gets done without a public battle. It should happen soon and be fast and brutal.’
In another email, Lord Mandelson wrote to colleagues, including Mr Campbell: ‘I agree we need to pin down Roland’s slipperiness. To counter what he said... will require trawling through and possible exposure of private email chains. Who is going to do that?’
Rudd allies claimed that Lord Mandelson and Mr Campbell, senior advisers on the campaign, were responsible for ‘bullying and intimidation’ in the office.
A spokesperson for the ‘Peoples Vote Staff’ – the allies of Mr Campbell and Mr Mandelson – questioned the role in the investigation of Mr Rudd’s Open Britain organisation, which formed part of the People’s Vote campaign.
The spokesperson said: ‘Specific concerns were raised with the board of Open Britain about Mr Heneghan’s suitability to lead the People’s Vote campaign team.
‘It is alleged that, faced with these allegations, certain members of the Open Britain board undermined and victimised the complainants.
‘It refused to allow the investigator to consider any allegation which would involve scrutiny of Open Britain, its board, or Mr Heneghan during the period when he was employed by Open Britain’.
I’m glad this has come to an end, it’s been very distressing. Now I just want to get back to work