LIZ Truss accepted help on her leadership campaign from a former minister accused of sexual harassment – despite knowing about the claims against him, it has been reported.
The Prime Minister is said to have known about the allegations against the politician, along with other members of Boris Johnson’s cabinet.
The allegations – revealed in The Independent, which did not name the man – come after a fractious Tory conference this week, during which Truss struggled to maintain party discipline as Cabinet members contradicted each other on raising benefits and some backbenchers, including ex-minister Nadine Dorries, came out in open rebellion against the PM.
There is no suggestion of police involvement and a parliamentary investigation was not possible because the alleged victim is said to be a civil servant and so not covered by Westminster’s sleaze watchdog.
The paper reports the man in question denies any wrongdoing and initially tried to settle the matter with one woman who accused him of sexual harassment with a letter of apology before coming to a financial settlement.
Another woman said the minister, who served in Johnson’s government, made inappropriate comments to her and it is said he also denies this.
Truss has steadfastly refused to fill the vacancy of the prime ministerial ethics adviser role, left empty following the resignation of Lord Geidt in the midst of the partygate scandal.
During her leadership campaign she said the role did not need to be filled because she knew the “difference between right and wrong”.
The paper reports the man in question provided some assistance to Truss’s leadership campaign “behind the scenes” and that the accusations against him, while known by some, were never formally investigated.
Johnson was ultimately toppled as prime minister in the furore around the promotion of the Tory MP Chris Pincher, despite the former leader knowing of complaints against him. Pincher denies allegations of sexual harassment.
