Harvey Proctor vows to stand against Tom Watson at the next election in revenge for Labour’s deputy backing Carl Beech’s vile lies over VIP paedophile ring
One of the former politicians wrongly accused by a fantasist behind the bogus VIP paedophile claims is set to stand against Labour deputy leader Tom Watson in the next election.
Former Tory MP Harvey Proctor, who was falsely accused of murder by Carl Beech, is furious that Watson amplified the false allegations by meeting Beech, making statements in Parliament and writing to police.
After Watson refused to stand down over the scandal, Mr Proctor says he is preparing to take him on at the next election in a bid to rob him of his seat in Parliament.
Mr Proctor was speaking ahead of Carl Beech’s sentencing for 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and one of fraud, following his conviction earlier this week.
Tom Watson, pictured earlier this week, is under pressure to resign over his role in amplifying bogus claims made by a fantasist behind the botched VIP peadophile ring investigation
Mr Watson, who has been West Bromwich East MP since 2001, is already the target of anger from some within the Labour party over his perceived undermining of Jeremy Corbyn.
The 72-year-old told The Daily Telegraph: ‘Tom Watson should not be in parliament. He has shown he has no judgment. As a result I am considering standing against himat the next general election and hopefully he will lose his seat.
‘It would be no loss to the Labour Party and a tremendous gain on all fronts.’
Harvey Proctor, one of those wrongly accused by Beech, says he may run against Watson at the next election
Mr Proctor has previously called on Watson to hand his phone logs and email history to the Home Affairs Select Committee to assess his involvement in the VIP sex ring ‘witchhunt’.
Watson sparked fresh outrage over his role this week when a member of his team said he was also ‘a victim’ of Beech.
His spokesman said: ‘He is a victim of Beech. The man is a fraudster and has caused terrible damage. And of course to Tom, definitely.’
Carl Beech’s false claims prompted the Metropolitan Police to raid the homes of 91-year-old Normandy veteran Field Marshal Lord Bramall, the late Lord Brittan and former Tory MP Harvey Proctor.
The force spent £2 million on the Operation Midland investigation into the 51-year-old’s lies, which has since been described by Mr Proctor as a ‘truly disgraceful chapter in the history of British policing’.
Among the divorced father-of-one’s malicious allegations were made up stories about being taken out of school in the 1970s and 1980s to be abused on a regular basis, including at military barracks.
He told police his list of abusers included former prime minister Sir Edward Heath, late Labour MP Greville Janner, disgraced TV star Jimmy Savile, as well as Sir Michael Hanley and Sir Maurice Oldfield, the heads of MI5 and MI6 respectively.
Carl Beech will be sentenced today for perverting the course of justice and fraud
Beech, from Gloucester, told officers in interviews spanning from 2014 to 2016 that he had witnessed three children being murdered at the hands of the group, including a boy matching the description of missing Martin Allen, who disappeared in 1979 aged 15.
But jurors saw through his lies and following a lengthy trial at Newcastle Crown Court, they found him guilty of 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and one of fraud earlier this week.
While accusing others of child sex abuse, Beech showed what prosecutors described as ‘breathtaking hypocrisy’ by pursuing an interest in boys himself, taking secret footage of a child going to the toilet.
After Operation Midland had closed in 2016, Beech fled to Sweden at a time when the Crown Prosecution Service was considering whether to bring charges against him, buying two properties there and trying to evade justice by using false identities.
He will be sentenced for his prolific lying, as well as indecent images offences and breach of bail, at Newcastle Crown Court at 11am today.