A female Labour MP has reported a senior MP from her own party to the Metropolitan Police for allegedly sexually assaulting her. The MP claims she was sexually assaulted by a shadow minister after a summer party in London. It’s claimed the alleged assault took place in July 2021, according to news outlet Tortoise, which has two sources corroborating the claim.
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Senior party figures, including at least one other shadow cabinet minister, were also reportedly made aware of the claim.
The MP who made the police complaint told the website that she felt the MP’s popularity within their party would “stand against her”.
No action was taken, however, and the MP has since approached the Met as well as speaking to the Labour Whips office over safeguarding issues and concerns about a “wider pattern of behaviour”.
The female MP or the minister, have not been named though both are known.
A Labour spokesperson said: “We take any allegations of this sort very seriously and would always encourage individuals to go to the parliamentary process, the Labour Party process or the police.
“In terms of the Labour Party process, it is a thorough, robust and independent process that individuals can have confidence in.”
This week the Labour Party has also faced other allegations over their handling of a sexual harassment case involving an advisor to a frontbencher.
Politico revealed that the party spent three years investigating an allegation and upholding the complaint twice, only to allow the aide to keep their job.
The harassment incident took place between a “senior party aide” and a “woman 20 years his junior”.
The victim told the Politico website she felt “let down” by the process.
Following the woman’s first complaint, the aide in question “was instructed to write a letter of apology”, with no further action being taken.
She then complained again about his conduct in early 2020, only being informed this month that her complaint had again been upheld.
This time the perpetrator received a written “final warning”.
She told Politico: “This ordeal has made me feel let down twice — by the man who chose to make me feel intimidated and vulnerable in my workplace, and by the party which appears to be content to let him keep his job and risk other young women facing the same experience”.
Responding to this story, a Labour spokesperson told the website: “Complaints relating to sexual misconduct are reviewed and ultimately determined by an independent process that has been fully operational since April 2022”.
“We would encourage anyone who experiences misconduct to use any available process before them, whether that be the Labour Party’s independent process, parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, or the police.”
