Lib Dems "Appalled" After Party Lifts Suspension From Peer Under Investigation For Sexual Harassment Claims
5 min read
Exclusive: A senior Liberal Democrat has told PoliticsHome that they and their colleagues are "astonished" and "pissed off" after news emerged that Lord Rennard has had the whip restored while an investigation into claims he sexually harassed female members is still ongoing.
In February, Rennard, the party's former director of campaigns and elections and chief executive, was suspended by the party after it launched a fresh investigation into allegations that the peer had sexually harassed four women.
He faced allegations of sexual harassment dating back to 2013 from four women.
An investigation at the time concluded the accounts were "broadly credible" but could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt. The inquiry by Alistair Webster QC, published in 2014, found that the evidence suggested that Lord Rennard’s behaviour had "caused distress to a number of women". An investigation by the Metropolitan Police around the same time found there was "insufficient evidence" to prosecute the peer.
Rennard was suspended from the party in 2014 over comments he made in the media and on social media regarding the party's handling of the complaints.
This suspension was lifted, but in February, Rennard was suspended from the Liberal Democrats once again, after the party said that it had "received legal advice" that the 2014 inquiry into the allegations "was flawed in several respects".
Rennard has refuted the allegations, saying that he “never acted inappropriately and would certainly not want to cause anyone any embarrassment.” He went on to say: “If ever I have hurt, embarrassed or upset anyone, then it would never have been my intention and, of course, I regret that they may have felt any hurt, embarrassment or upset.”
Private Eye recently reported that Rennard had had the whip reinstated at the end of May, with a Lib Dem spokesperson telling the magazine: "The party's independent complaints process took the decision to lift Chris Rennard's suspension while their investigation is ongoing."
Commenting on the whip being restored to Rennard, a senior Lib Dem source told PoliticsHome: "We’re all astonished and pretty pissed off that somehow for some unknown reason [Rennard's] membership has been reinstated before the matter has been resolved. We just don’t understand that. It’s right that the process is independent, but it’s deeply frustrating.
“Other colleagues are annoyed too. It’s nonsensical. If there’s still an investigation, why would you reinstate someone’s membership?“
Lord Rennard had the Lib Dem whip reinstated at the end of May (Alamy)
In February of this year, a Lib Dem spokesperson said that the party's leader Ed Davey believed "Rennard should not be a member of the House of Lords" and "that it should be made easier for peers to be expelled from the Lords for serious misconduct".
Another Lib Dem source told PoliticsHome that they were "appalled" at the reinstatement of Lord Rennard "before due process was completed".
The source added: "I am incandescent that we have done this... we are trying to ‘manage the optics’ rather than protect our members." The source added that if there was a legal reason that Rennard had to be reinstated, then the party should have been open about it.
"This reinstatement has been brushed under the carpet like these accusations were for so many years until our accusations about Peter Mandelson forced us to finally confront them."
The source added that Rennard would now be allowed to "attend party functions and conferences before the process is complete and risk, if any, is quantified. This is an appalling state of affairs and made worse that the party hoped that no one would notice."
Earlier this month, Lib Dem MP Cameron Thomas had the party whip suspended after he was arrested on suspicion of assault and controlling and coercive behaviour. Thomas denies all the allegations against him.
A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats told PoliticsHome: “The party's independent complaints process took the decision to lift Chris Rennard's suspension while their investigation is ongoing. We will make further comment when this process has concluded.”
In response to PoliticsHome's request for comment, Rennard provided a statement previously given to Times Radio in February:
"All allegations made against me were investigated by the Metropolitan Police Service in 2013 in what was acknowledged by one of the complainants to be a “thorough and professional investigation”. After interviewing all concerned and considering any evidence they decided not to send a file to the Crown Prosecution Service and took no further action.
"A thorough investigation of all allegations was then undertaken by an independent lawyer Alistair Webster KC following very extensive appeals for any complaints concerning me and any evidence. His report submitted to the party in December 2013 concluded that there was insufficient evidence to hold a disciplinary hearing. The report he submitted did not include the word “credible”. His report was accepted by the relevant party body in January 2014.
"A further investigation was conducted by another independent lawyer as to whether there were any grounds at all for any form of disciplinary action against me and it concluded that there were not. This conclusion was accepted by the party in August 2014 when all disciplinary action against me ended.
"There was then an independent review of all these process by the businesswoman Helena Morrissey MBE who is now a Conservative Peer. She concluded in December 2014 that, “At this point, December 2014, every investigation has concluded with no further action to be taken against Lord Rennard. The process over the past nearly two years – conducted according to the prevailing rules – has run its course and although the outcome is a source of great frustration to some, I believe that the Party can only move on if that outcome is accepted. At this stage, given that the Party applied its own processes, there is no justification for it remaining ambivalent towards Lord Rennard – he should be just as welcome a participant or guest at Party events as any other”."
