Tories have ‘zero tolerance’ for sexual misconduct, says Oliver Dowden in face of rape cover-up claims

Published

1 year ago

November 5, 2023

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The Conservatives have zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, the deputy prime minister has told Sky News after claims the party covered up for a “serial rapist” MP.

Speaking on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Oliver Dowden insisted the vast majority of people were in parliament to serve their constituents and the nation.

He urged anyone with accusations of criminality to “go straight” to the police.

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Mr Dowden was speaking after a report in the Mail On Sunday that former Tory chairman Sir Jake Berry had sent a letter to police in which he revealed a number of allegations about an MP had been made known to the party, but little action had been taken.

The then top official had only become aware of the claims when he learned the party had paid for one of the alleged victims to receive treatment at a private hospital.

Sir Jake’s letter, written jointly with former chief whip Wendy Morton, another MP and a Downing Street official, also claimed the failure of others in the party to act had allowed the politician at the centre of the allegations to continue offending.

Responding to the latest revelations, Mr Dowden said: “Any allegation of sexual misconduct I take extremely seriously and the Conservative Party has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct.

“We have an independent complaints mechanism and that investigates any allegations.

“The Mail on Sunday, as far as I can tell, doesn’t contain any details of the persons involved. So there’s a limit to what can say further than that, other than say it may be the case that these matters are subject to an ongoing criminal investigation.

“So to reassure you we take any allegations exceptionally seriously.”

Pressed over whether there was a wider problem at Westminster after a series of scandals, Mr Dowden said: “No, I don’t think there’s there’s something wrong about our parliament and the vast majority of people in parliament are there to serve their constituents and to serve the nation.

“Now, in respect of a very small number of cases, it’s important robust action is taken.

“And indeed, if there are allegations, I would urge anyone to go straight to the police as a criminal matters and they should be investigated.”

It is the latest in a string of sexual misconduct claims to hit the Conservative party.

At the end of last month, senior Tory MP Crispin Blunt was suspended by the party after being arrested on suspicion of rape and the possession of controlled substances.

It came after former Conservative minister Peter Bone was suspended from the Commons for six weeks after a claim he exposed himself to a member of staff was upheld.

Chris Pincher, the former deputy chief whip, was sacked and eventually resigned after being accused of groping two men in a Tory private members’ club.

And last year, former MP Imran Ahmad Khan was jailed after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy.

Politics

Crypto scam launderer pleads guilty to role in $73M scheme

Published

5 hours ago

November 13, 2024

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Crypto scam launderer pleads guilty to role in M scheme

Daren Li is looking at a maximum of 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to his role in laundering crypto in a $73 million scam.

Politics

NHS league tables and cancelled pay rises for managers among government health reforms

Published

8 hours ago

November 13, 2024

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NHS league tables and cancelled pay rises for managers among government health reforms

NHS league tables revealing failing NHS trusts and cancelled pay rises or dismissal for managers who don’t turn things around are to form part of the government’s plans to improve the health service.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting is confirming new measures he hopes will boost failing hospital trusts and encourage successful ones.

The changes form part of the Labour government’s strategy to reduce waiting lists “from 18 months to 18 weeks”.

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Health and the state of the NHS were consistently among the most important issues for voters at this year’s general election – with Labour blaming the Conservatives for “breaking” it.

As health is a devolved area, any reforms proposed in Westminster would only apply to England.

Chief among Mr Streeting’s proposals is a “league table” for NHS trusts.

An announcement from the Department for Health and Social Care said: “NHS England will carry out a no-holds-barred sweeping review of NHS performance across the entire country, with providers to be placed into a league table.

“This will be made public and regularly updated to ensure leaders, policy-makers and patients know which improvements need to be prioritised.”

It also promises to replace “persistently failing managers” – with “turn around teams” being sent in to improve trusts running sizeable deficits or offering poor service to patients.

The government says “senior managers” who fail to make progress will not be eligible for pay rises.

There will be “financial implications” for more senior figures such as chief executives if their trust does not improve.

On the flip-side, those trusts that are deemed to be “high-performing” will get “greater freedom over funding and flexibility”.

Senior leaders at these trusts will also be “rewarded”.

The government says the current system is not incentivising trusts to run a budget surplus, as they cannot benefit from it.

Mr Streeting said: “The budget showed this government prioritises the NHS, providing the investment needed to rebuild the health service.

“Today we are announcing the reforms to make sure every penny of extra investment is well spent and cuts waiting times for patients.

“There’ll be no more turning a blind eye to failure. We will drive the health service to improve, so patients get more out of it for what taxpayers put in.

“Our health service must attract top talent, be far more transparent to the public who pay for it, and run as efficiently as global businesses.

“With the combination of investment and reform, we will turn the NHS around and cut waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks.”

Concerns from health representatives

Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of NHS England, said: “While NHS leaders welcome accountability, it is critical that responsibility comes with the necessary support and development.

“The extensive package of reforms, developed together with government, will empower all leaders working in the NHS and it will give them the tools they need to provide the best possible services for our patients.”

Further plans on how monitoring will be published by the start of the next financial year in April 2025, the government said.

Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation – a body that represents all NHS trusts – said healthcare leaders welcome the “government’s ambition”.

However, he said he was concerned league tables and reducing pay may “strip out” the nuance of what’s going on.

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Mr Taylor said: “NHS staff are doing their very best for patients under very challenging circumstances and we do not want them feeling like they are being named and shamed.

“League tables in themselves do not lead to improvement, trusts struggling with consistent performance issues – some of which reflect contextual issues such as underlying population heath and staff shortages – need to be identified and supported in order to recover.”