Rishi Sunak as we speak described allegations {that a} Tory MP dedicated a collection of rapes as “very serious”and urged anybody with proof of felony acts to speak to the police.
The Prime Minister spoke out after it emerged a former Tory chairman wrote to police over fears the celebration was protecting up a rape allegation towards a Conservative MP. Speaking on a go to to Bacton Gas Terminal in Norfolk, the PM informed broadcasters: “These are very serious, anonymous allegations. It may be that they allude to something that is already the subject of a live police investigation, so I hope you understand it wouldn’t be right for me to comment on that further specifically. More broadly, the Conservative Party has robust independent complaint procedures in place, but I would say to anybody who has information or evidence about any criminal acts to of course talk to police, that’s the right course of action.”
Former celebration chairman Sir Jake Berry informed officers there have been claims of a collection of sexual assaults, with doubtlessly as much as 5 victims. He mentioned one alleged sufferer of the unnamed politician was receiving help paid for by the Conservative Party, in accordance with a bombshell letter. Sir Jake served briefly as Tory chairman throughout Liz Truss’ disastrous 49-day premiership final autumn.
After leaving the function in October 2022, he reportedly wrote to police alerting officers to the claims. In the letter, Sir Jake and Conservative former Chief Whip Wendy Morton say they turned conscious of a string of allegations towards an MP – known as X for authorized causes.
An extract, printed by the Mail on Sunday, says: “There may have been five victims of X – who have been subject to a range of offences including multiple rapes.” It provides: “We are aware that this matter has been ongoing for over two years. We also believe there are up to five victims of X and that the failure of others to act has enabled X to continue to offend and to victimise women.”
The letter says that neither Sir Jake nor Ms Morton had been happy with the “scant information provided to us by those who were already aware of the extant allegation”. It provides: “Additionally, neither were we satisfied that enough effort had been made to ascertain the nature of the allegations against X nor were we sure that victims had been properly advised about relevant procedures to bring a complaint.” It concludes: “’This is not something we are prepared to see continue and collectively we have therefore raised the issue with both you and the Speaker’s Office in the House of Commons seeking an immediate police investigation.”
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden yesterday insisted he had no function in stopping a probe into intercourse accusations whereas he was celebration chairman from September 2021 to June 2022. Mr Dowden was grilled in regards to the claims when he appeared on BBC1’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme. The presenter informed him: “You were chairman of the Tory Party when it’s alleged the party knew one of its MPs had committed multiple offences, including rape of young women, and didn’t act. One of your successors seemingly then told the police. Is that true?”
Mr Dowden mentioned: “These are very, very critical allegations and I need to reassure that the Conservative Party takes them exceptionally severely. It could be very tough for me to remark particularly on this for 2 causes – initially, the person is not named and, secondly, it could be the case that there are felony investigations ongoing.
“But what I can say is that every single allegation is taken exceptionally seriously. We had an independent investigation process into it and indeed if anyone has concerns, they should be taken to the police and I would urge people to take them to the police.”
Ms Kuenssberg told him: “There’s a suggestion here that the Conservative Party somehow covered this up to protect one of its own MPs.”
But Mr Dowden hit back: “I don’t recognise in any form the idea that we covered up and I can assure you, categorically, that it was not the case that when I was chairman of the Conservative Party I covered up any allegations.”
Speaking to Sky News, he added: “The Conservative Party has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct. We have an independent complaints mechanism that investigates any allegations.”