East Dunbartonshire MP Jo Swinson welcomes Lord Rennard investigation
LIBERAL Democrat MP Jo Swinson has welcomed an investigation into how her party dealt with alleged “sexually inappropriate behaviour” by a former official.
Several allegations have been made by female party workers who say they were subjected to unwelcome advances by Lord Rennard, the party’s former chief executive, dating back to 2003.
Politics lecturer Alison Smith said she told East Dunbartonshire MP Jo Swinson, who was the Lib Dem spokesperson for women and equality at the time, about the behaviour and that she said she would investigate.
Lord Rennard denies any wrongdoing.
Ms Swinson said: “My focus throughout has been to protect the women who confided in me and, our shared objective, to prevent other women experiencing this kind of behaviour.
“All the time I was careful to respect their wish for privacy and, for that matter, their right not to be harassed by the press.
“I took action and ensured that others took action. I told the women who had confided in me what I had done to try to put a stop to any inappropriate behaviour and encouraged them to let me know if they became aware of any further incidents.
“I welcome the review into how the party responded to this situation so that lessons can be learned. It is important that a proper process is followed and I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to the review.”
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Monday 20 May 2013
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