Comments on: Chris Rennard allegations: where we’re at

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 07:51:10 +0000

I think that it’s important to presume innocence until guilt is proven. Whatever the substance of any allegations may be, trial by media is not the answer. When I write this I am not thinking so much of comments on this site but of the media focus in general.

By: david orr

david orr — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:35:08 +0000

well for one I do not trust the right wing Tory press who are trumpeting headlines mainly let’s face it to boost the campaign of an appalling Tory candidate in Eastleigh!

second in my book everyone is innocent until proven innocent – no trial by press please; haven’t we learned from Levenson

third good luck to the perfectly decent Liberal candidate in Eastleigh – i’m sure the voters will concentrate on the issues and candidates and not other issues!

By: Ruth Bright

Ruth Bright — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 19:48:16 +0000

But Neil that “duty of care” is too nebulous to have any meaning. I made complaints against two male councillors (one in 2006 and one in 2011) and no action resulted on either occasion. I stand by what I said that volunteers in this party are left to fend for themselves.

By: Richard Harris

Richard Harris — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 19:42:23 +0000

Just today we’ve heard from Cable that apparently Nick Clegg knew nothing of these accusations, but tonight (according to the BBC tonight – see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21567967) we’re expecting a statement that Clegg knew something, but nothing specific. Clegg has had how many days to make a statement on this and has taken until now to do so. Where did the libdem promise of a new kind of politics vanish too? – so far this is looking like good old fashioned damage limitation political maneuvering.

By: Sesenco

Sesenco — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 19:02:56 +0000

While it is possible that the complaints were made in good faith, it is absolutely certain that the media hoo-ha is politically motivated. The media interest in Operation Fernbridge, which is looking at far more serious allegations against politicians and other public figures, has been much less intense, with the notable exception of the “Daily Mirror”. It cannot be coincidental that most (though not all) of the politicians being probed by Fernbridge are Conservatives, while Lord Rennard is a Liberal Democrat (and there’s a crucial byelection next Thursday). Sadly, a few people still believe what they read in newspapers. Like Lord Greaves, I had never heard a whiff of these rumours in all the years I’ve been in the Party.

By: john mc

john mc — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 18:25:45 +0000

It’s not enough to say that the party president would find it hard to question colleaguesabout such allegations – that goes with the territory surely? it also mskes the point again that the president really should be from outside. this is not to say that Tim Farron is not effective, he is, but the president should be disinterested

By: Stuart Mitchell

Stuart Mitchell — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 18:25:11 +0000

BBC now reporting that Nick Clegg is to “admit knowing of general concerns”.

By: David Pollard

David Pollard — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 18:07:24 +0000

How is it that C4 broadcast this story in time for the Sunday’s to do their worst the weekend before the Eastleigh by-election? I think we should be told.

By: Lesley Abdela

Lesley Abdela — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 18:06:20 +0000

A favourable development is already apparent on this page – a high percentage of those calling for a full independent inquiry are men. They are rightly expressing concern at the party’s small number of women MPs, Peers and in the top jobs in the parliamentary party. This was typified by the complete absence of women at the negotiating table to agree on terms of the Coalition.
I have worked professionally on Gender and Equal Opportunities in many countries. I am author of: ‘Breaking through the Glass Ceilings’ and ‘Do it walk the Talk’ HR guides for employers and was ‘agony Aunt’ on sexual harassment for an on-line newsletter for staff working in NGOs on overseas Missions. In this all too familiar scenario my advice would be to call in an independent person to conduct an inquiry and to make recommendations on implementation and enforcement of procedures and accountability. In any organisation visible and on-going commitment from the top leadership is crucial to success in handling any form of alleged sexual harassment or intimidation.

By: Tim Nichols

Tim Nichols — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 17:28:15 +0000

I commend Stephen for his call for an independent review.

I worked for 5 years in parliament for the party and the Lib Dems are part of a broader parliamentary culture of male egos, machismo and also the deluded and vane confusion of one’s position of power with one’s sexual appeal. It many times struck me as pathetic and occasionally struck me as deeply concerning, with behaviour I either witnessed or heard about from friends whose testimony I would personally consider reliable.

The party should do this and do it properly. The other parties have their dark secrets: matters swept under the carpet and hidden away in files in whips’ offices. An independent inquiry in the Lib Dems would help serve notice on the other parties and ensure that when any of their dark secrets come to light, it will be hard for them to avoid an independent inquiry too, or to explain why similar matters in whips files today may yet still remain under wraps protecting reputations of people who do not deserve such protection.

Perhaps it will even help others come forward in the coming months who are effected by the kind of behaviour alleged of Lord Rennard in the male dominated UK political culture beyond just the Lib Dems, so that instead of it reflecting badly on the party, it will eventually reflect well on the party that it was Lib Dem women who refused to let this ugly part of the broader UK political culture be hidden.

An Independent review should have a remit that considers any failings or cultural problems of the Lib Dem firstly with a focus on individual failure where it has happened, secondly with a focus on Lib Dem institutional failure, but also thirdly in the broader context of the parliamentary culture as this may be necessary to help understand – but certainly not excuse – why the matter was not dealt with as it should have been back in 2008.

And finally an independent review is essential as the only acceptable message to send to any woman considering becoming actively involved in the party, or perhaps seeking to become a candidate. The Lib Dems need to become a party in which many more women are candidates, MPs, Peers and in the top jobs in the parliamentary party.

By: Liberal Neil

Liberal Neil — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 17:26:15 +0000

@Ruth Bright – I can’t remember whether there was a specific ‘whistleblower’ policy as such when I worked for the Federal Party but there was, as you would expect, standard Terms & Conditions of Employment, line management structure, grievance procedure etc. I’m sure most of us who have worked for the party in recent years would have understood that we also had a duty of care to volunteers we worked with.

By: Tony Greaves

Tony Greaves — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 15:39:13 +0000

An open and democratic organisation like the Liberal Democrats is very different from many other kinds of organisation. If the inquiry were to result in a cover up it would be people in the party itself that led the revolt.

By the way, without commenting at all on the current complaints and allegations, I can say that having trawled my memory over all the years concerned, and as someone who has been closely involved in the party at all levels including national (and someone who keeps my ear to the ground) I don’t believe I heard any such rumours at the time or until the C4 broadcast. I state this simply to refute the idea that such rumours were “widely heard” in the party during that time.

Tony Greaves

By: Tony Dawson

Tony Dawson — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 15:12:36 +0000

I think the decision to turn off the ‘Comments’ was sensible: except that you did not collectively turn off the ‘Comment’ from Stephen Tall which has been heavily-used by our political opponents to try to justify some of their outrageous and politically-motivated ‘angles’ on all this.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 15:05:27 +0000

The problem with senior people in the party claiming that they knew nothing about these claims until last week is that the News of the World had allegedly been investigating them in 2009, while Rennard was still Chief Executive, but had been deterred from publishing by the threat of legal action. One can only say that if the party leader was not aware of such a situation, then he should have been.

By: Jennie

Jennie — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 14:01:28 +0000

any review of these specific allegations that is conducted by a party member will look like (and be spun by political opponents and hostile press alike) as a cover up. Still, that appears to be the direction the party had chosen to go down. Batten down the hatches, then.

By: Simon Wilson

Simon Wilson — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 13:55:36 +0000

Review must be independent, transparent and far-reaching. No rush job to satisfy media-must take the time to hear stories, test allegations and act accordingly

By: Martin B

Martin B — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 13:21:05 +0000

I entirely agree that an external inquiry is required for precisely the reason given. An internal inquiry would look as though the party was not taking the allegations seriously.

By: Terry G

Terry G — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 12:52:32 +0000

I agree with Stephen that an independent review is needed here.

By: Ruth Bright

Ruth Bright — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 12:39:11 +0000

Stephen, I think you made a very important point when you said in an earlier piece that you could find no trace of the party’s whistleblowing procedure. Presumably the party has grievance and other procedures and protections for paid staff. Volunteers (and people often forget that PPCs are just that) have been left to fend for themselves.

By: PlatoSays

PlatoSays — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 11:34:44 +0000

I’ve been really impressed by your honest stance here – covering things up, turning a blind eye or whatever rarely ends well for anyone – and there are many awkward questions that need answering before the Party can move on.