A former Tory aide broke cover to deny she had ever been mistreated by her boss today despite them both being named in a controversial sleaze dossier.
Sophie Bolsover issued a statement defending her ex boss Rory Stewart as the scandal around harassment in Westminster grew today.
Mr Stewart, now a Government aid minister, and Dominic Raab, a justice minister, both outed themselves as being wrongly included on the list today.
The trio are the latest subjects of the rumours to publicly rebut the allegations, which have been widely circulated at Westminster and now published online.
Although it was apparently compiled to expose sexual misconduct, a number of the 40 entries relate to consensual relationships with no sign of wrongdoing.
Mr Stewart’s former aide Sophie Bolsover tweeted today that ‘nothing of the kind implied by my name being included on this spreadsheet ever took place’
Rory Stewart and his former aide Sophie Bolsover spoke out flatly to deny the allegations in the controversial dossier
Justice minister Dominic Raab said any allegation of harassment was ‘false and malicious’ and he had consulted lawyers
International development minister Mr Stewart retweeted his former staffer’s statement, adding: ‘This story is completely untrue + deeply hurtful.’
Mr Stewart was alleged on the document to have ‘asked female researcher to do odd things’. Ms Bolsover’s name was also included.
But she tweeted today that ‘nothing of the kind implied by my name being included on this spreadsheet ever took place’.
‘During my time working in parliament, Rory Stewart was never anything other than completely professional and an excellent employer,’ Ms Bolsover wrote.
International development minister Mr Stewart retweeted his former staffer’s statement, adding: ‘This story is completely untrue + deeply hurtful. Neither of us have any idea how our names appeared on the list.’
In a post on his website, justice minister Mr Raab also confronted the allegations.
‘Under my own name, the entry reads: “Injunction for inappropriate behaviour with a woman”,’ he wrote.
‘And yet, I have never been served with any injunction for anything. Nor have I ever sought one.
‘Equally, any insinuation that I have engaged in anything resembling sexual harassment, sexually abusive behaviour or lewd remarks with either Parliamentary colleagues or staff (in any job I have done) is false and malicious. I have already taken legal advice.’
Other MPs have also broken cover to challenge the claims in the document, thought to have been put together by a handful of current and former Tory aides.
Colonel Bob Stewart said the claims against him were ‘appalling’, while Michael Fabricant branded it a ‘witch hunt’.
Last year Sir Bob sparked a Westminster sexism row by labelling a female reporter ‘totty’ but said he was just ‘old fashioned’ and ‘actually being really nice’.
Sir Bob said he was being unfairly targeted and has ‘never been rude to a woman in my life’.
Colonel Bob Stewart said the so-called spreadsheet of shame naming 42 Tory MPs including him is ‘appalling’ while Michael Fabricant branded it a ‘witch hunt’ and smear campaign
He told The Sun: ‘What we’ve got now is a situation where we are soon going to be in a situation where people that work together can’t say ‘can I take you out?’ How far away are we from that?’
Mr Fabricant, Lichfield MP and former Tory vice-chairman, said: ‘I have seen the spreadsheet, which is on social media. It only lists Conservative MPs and is a strange hotchpotch of rumour and gossip. I am listed over a single incident where I was said to be ‘inappropriate with a male journalist in a taxi’. What does that mean?
‘Was it a risqué joke that I told? If it were anything noteworthy, surely the journalist would have either written it up as a juicy story – or smacked me in the mouth?
‘And who was he anyway, and when? For the life of me, I cannot recall having been in a taxi with a journalist though doubtless I must have been over the last 25 years in parliament. This is why we do need to have an independent investigative body which can assess accusations, punish guilty MPs, and also discredit anyone who smears an MP merely for party political or other ends.
‘Right-minded people everywhere will condemn unsubstantiated witch hunts.’
PM’s deputy Damian Green set to hand over his text messages to an inquiry probing claims he made a pass at Tory activist
Damian Green was tonight preparing to release his text messages to an inquiry probing claims he made an inappropriate pass at a Tory activist.
The Prime Minister’s deputy intends to show he had a ‘friendly’ relationship with Kate Maltby when the disputed incident took place.
Mr Green has been referred to the cabinet secretary by Downing Street after it was claimed he sent her a text message about how he had admired her in a corset.
First secretary of state, Damian Green (left) has been accused of making advances towards Kate Maltby, 31 (right). Mr Green was said tonight to be ready to hand his text messages to an inquiry
Ms Maltby, 31, a critic and academic involved in Conservative politics, revealed the message and described a meeting between them in a bar where they discussed sexual affairs within parliament.
In the wake of the new escalation in the harassment scandal sweeping Westminster, Theresa May called on party leaders to work together on a solution.
Doorstepped by reporters as he left for Westminster this morning, Mr Green dismissed the allegations against him as ‘completely false’. He has instructed lawyers.
It is understood he is ready to hand over text messages exchanged with Ms Maltby to demonstrate they had a ‘standard’ and ‘friendly’ journalist-minister relationship.
‘LabourToo’ probe invites members to anonymously reveal harassment and will report to officials about abuse inside Labour in weeks
Labour party activists have been invited to anonymously report harassment to an independent probe that will report to party chiefs within weeks.
The ‘LabourToo’ website was set up as the ‘MeToo’ campaign spread around the world in the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
It was created by six female members of Labour who have kept their identities hidden for fear of further abuse.
Jeremy Corbyn has vowed to ensure there is ‘no tolerance’ for harassment and assault in Labour after prominent activist Bex Bailey last night revealed she had been urged by party staff to not report being raped.
The revelation dragged Labour into the heart of a growing scandal in Westminster over harassment and sexual assault.
Jeremy Corbyn (pictured today at PMQs) has vowed to ensure there is ‘no tolerance’ for harassment and assault in Labour
Prominent activist Bex Bailey (file image) last night revealed she had been urged by party staff to not report being raped
A spokesman for the LabourToo campaign told the Huffington Post: ‘We decided to set up the campaign off the back of recent inappropriate and unacceptable comments made by Labour MPs Jared O’Mara and Clive Lewis and the rise of the #MeToo campaign, which saw lots of women sharing their stories.
‘Obviously since then the issue has become a lot bigger and we are continuing to ask people to send us their experiences, in complete confidence.
‘The focus is very much on Westminster at the moment, but we know it is a problem throughout politics as a whole – affecting people across the whole country – and people have come to us with stories of incidents ranging from harassment and inappropriate comments to sexual abuse.
‘It is not just a central government issue that needs to be dealt with – it’s local government too.’
At Prime Minister’s Questions today, Labour leader Mr Corbyn said he was happy to work with Theresa May on a cross party solution.
He said: ‘We need better protections for all, this House must involve workplace trade unions in that but it’s also incumbent on all parties to have robust procedures in place to protect and support victims of abuse and harassment.’
Sources close to Mr Corbyn today said the independent investigation into what happened to Ms Bailey would be concluded as quickly as possible.
My drink was spiked with date rape drug in House of Commons bar, claims former Tory aide – who was told by police it ‘wasn’t the first time’
A date rape drug is said to have been used on a Tory aide’s drink in a Commons bar and another woman claims an MP grabbed her by the crotch as the Westminster sex row escalated again today.
The former Conservative aide has claimed that the drugging took place at the Strangers’ Bar on the parliamentary estate, which is reserved for MPs and their guests.
She told the Evening Standard she reported the episode at the venue to the police and an officer said it was not the first time it had happened.
The newspaper also reported an allegation that a woman who worked for a Tory MP had been approached by him from behind in her office.
He is said to have grabbed her crotch, but the House authorities apparently told her there was ‘nothing they could do’.
A Westminster staffer last night claimed she was sexually assaulted by an MP – but that Parliament failed to act after she reported it
Westminster has been rocked by a slew of allegations, which appear to have been prompted by the Harvey Weinstein scandal in the US.
Another staffer last night claimed she was sexually assaulted by an MP – but that Parliament failed to act after she reported it.
The alleged victim, who spoke anonymously and did not identify which party the MP was from, said the man forced himself on her in a hotel room last year.
But when she and a senior colleague reported it to several authorities, she claimed they refused to act, adding that officials ‘at best turned a blind eye and at worst actively covered it up’.