Will ‘groping’ Lord Rennard make a comeback for the Lib Dems?

A peer nicknamed Lord Groper could be welcomed back by the Liberal Democrats after the party leader allegedly said: ‘All that other stuff aside, [he] is a great campaigner.’

The former Lib Dem chief executive Lord (Chris) Rennard was suspended from the party for eight months in 2014 after female activists accused him of being a sex pest.

Lord Rennard – once the party’s top electoral strategist who was also nicknamed Lord Grabbyhands – later apologised if he had ‘inadvertently encroached’ on their ‘personal space’, but following an outcry among members he stood down from the Lib Dems’ governing body in 2015.

Now new Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has been accused of trying to bring Lord Rennard back into the fold, despite a new complaint of harassment against him.

Sources said Sir Ed, who took the top job after former leader Jo Swinson lost her seat at the election, was allegedly heard asking Lib Dem MPs and staff at a Christmas party what they thought of Lord Rennard, before declaring: ‘All that other stuff aside, Chris is a great campaigner.’

A Lib Dem source said: ‘Everyone who heard Ed musing aloud came away disgusted and pretty angry. We were left in no doubt he wants to bring him back into the fold. You have to seriously question the judgment of the man.’

Four women made allegations of sexual harassment against the 59-year-old peer, but despite a report finding that their complaints were ‘broadly credible’ he remained in the party.

Now new Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey (pictured) has been accused of trying to bring Lord Rennard back into the fold, despite a new complaint of harassment against him.

The Metropolitan Police decided there was insufficient evidence to pursue any of the allegations.

However, the Mail can reveal a fresh complaint has been made by a Lib Dem staff member who accused him of being ‘overfamiliar and creepy’.

The new alleged victim complained the peer had harassed her during the party’s 2018 spring conference in Southport. She said he followed her around, kept trying to talk to her and paid her unwanted compliments. It is understood she said she would withdraw the complaint if Lord Rennard apologised, but the peer has refused and the complaint is still active – despite it being made nearly two years ago.

Last night, Bridget Harris, a former adviser to Nick Clegg who complained that Lord Rennard had made sexual advances towards her, said: ‘If the Lib Dems haven’t got the message by now that the days of casual sexual pestering are over, then they’re even more doomed than we thought.’

However, sources said Sir Ed did not ‘recollect’ the conversation, and would not give Lord Rennard a campaigning role.

Lord Rennard denies all the claims against him.

A Lib Dem spokesman said of the fresh complaint: ‘Any allegations and complaints are treated seriously and investigated in line with the party’s processes.’