Dozens of Labour women spoke out yesterday about alleged sexual harassment and abuse by party members.
They say rapes were covered up by the party over concerns that its reputation could be damaged, according to campaigners who have submitted a dossier on the claims to Jeremy Corbyn.
One woman felt she could not report a sexual assault by a married male MP at a Labour Christmas party because he had powerful friends.
Dozens of Labour women say rapes were covered up by the party over concerns that its reputation could be damaged. Campaigners have submitted a dossier on the claims to Jeremy Corbyn (pictured)
The LabourToo activists set up their campaign to protect women in the party following the MeToo scandal in Hollywood, in which actresses accused powerful men in the film industry of decades of abuse.
The 43 anonymised cases in the their report include party staff, activists, politicians and candidates.
One said she had been raped at the Labour Party conference, but ‘no one cared’ when she reported it.
Another said a man was allowed to resign quietly from the party after being accused of rape.
Others described how they had to endure leg-stroking and lewd comments by male Labour members.
The revelations came as a separate report found that 24 per cent of all MPs – including 51 per cent of women – were personally aware of sexual harassment or abuse in Parliament.
Today MPs will debate a complaints and grievance system for Parliament drawn up by Andrea Leadsom, Leader of the Commons, in the wake of complaints of inappropriate behaviour.
LabourToo compiled submissions over two months in response to an appeal for stories of sexual abuse in Labour.
One woman said of her alleged rape at a party conference: ‘A man was harassing me and wouldn’t leave me alone.
Today MPs will debate a complaints and grievance system for Parliament drawn up by Andrea Leadsom, Leader of the Commons (pictured)
‘I am no longer a member of the party and this at least in part played a role. I told my region and an MP I trusted. No one cared.’
Another said: ‘A committee member… was accused of rape/sexual assault by two members. He was asked to resign from his position quietly. He got away with his reputation intact. It was dealt with completely unacceptably by the party and essentially covered up because of fears of how it would look to the outside world/media and damage our reputation.’
One councillor was said to have rubbed his groin against a woman, while another was accused of putting Vote Labour stickers on female activists so he could touch their breasts.
A woman reported: ‘As an intern, I was sexually harassed by a married MP at a Labour Christmas party. He got drunk and… started coming up behind me and stroking my arm.
‘I felt really uncomfortable and not able to report it… because the people I had to tell would have… wanted to protect him.’ Another said that when she went to a Labour fundraiser, ‘the MP spent the night stroking my leg under the table’.
LabourToo urged Labour to set up an independent complaints process and training for all staff and representatives.
A spokesman said the reports came from all levels in the party and every region, adding: ‘We have found it genuinely distressing to read about this level of inexcusable behaviour taking place within the Labour Party.
‘Sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination is not restricted to the corridors of Westminster, but is taking place at all levels within the party.’
Labour said it welcomed the report, which will used in a review of procedures for dealing with sexual harassment. It urged women who submitted anonymous testimony to make formal complaints so that alleged incidents can be investigated.
A spokesman said: ‘Karon Monaghan QC has been appointed to make an independent assessment of the party’s procedures for dealing with sexual harassment and an independent organisation is conducting an audit from the perspective of those who have experienced sexual harassment.’