Rishi Sunak has described allegations that a Tory MP committed a series of rapes as “very serious” as he urged anyone with evidence of criminal acts to talk to the police.
The PM has been urged to launch an investigation into claims the Conservatives failed to properly deal with allegations of rape against one of their MPs.
It comes after it was reported that Sir Jake Berry, a former Tory chair, told police that an internal “failure” to act on allegations of rape allowed an unnamed MP to “continue to offend”.
According to a copy of a letter obtained by the Mail On Sunday, Sir Jake told police he found out about the alleged assaults when he discovered the Tories had covered the cost of treatment for one of the supposed victims at a private hospital.
Tory peer Baroness Warsi said the Conservatives have a “problem” in handling sexual misconduct and bullying allegations – saying there was “rot at the heart” of the party.
Speaking on a visit to Norfolk, Mr Sunak told broadcasters: “These are very serious, anonymous allegations,” before adding that it “may be that they allude to something that is already the subject of a live police investigation” so he couldn’t comment further.
The Tory leader said: “More broadly, the Conservative Party has robust, independent complaint procedures in place, but I would say to anybody who has information or evidence about any criminal acts to of course talk to police – that’s the right course of action.”
Deputy PM and former Tory chair Oliver Dowden told the BBC on Sunday that he was not aware of the allegations and did not recognise “the idea that we covered up” – but said he could not rule out that the party might have paid for treatment for an alleged victim.
He told Times Radio: “I’m not denying that it could be the case that those payments were made, but it is not something that I authorised or [was] part of as chairman of the Conservative Party.”
Deputy PM Oliver Dowden said he could not rule out that payments were made to an alleged victim— (PA)
Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called on Mr Sunak to launch an investigation.
Anneliese Dodds, the Labour Party chair, said: “These allegations are deeply concerning and extremely serious. It is of the utmost importance that this is thoroughly investigated by the Conservative Party.”
Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said the report was “disturbing”, adding: “Nobody is above the law or reprimand for serious crimes such as those reported. For that reason, the prime minister and Conservative Party chairman must launch an investigation into this.”
Former Tory chair Sir Jake Berry reportedly told police an internal ‘failure’ to act on allegations of rape allowed an unnamed MP to ‘continue to offend’— (PA Wire)
The MP has not been named but, as per Sir Jake’s letter, was able to continue in their role in parliament after the alleged rapes and assaults occurred.
Mr Berry was party chair during Liz Truss’s brief tenure as Tory leader and PM last year. It is reported that he wrote the letter shortly after leaving the chair’s job in October 2022.
The Mail On Sunday published extracts from the letter, which Sir Jake and former chief whip Wendy Morton reportedly co-signed.
It was reportedly sent to police stating that the pair became aware of a series of allegations against an MP, referred to as “X”, when they took up their new roles within the party.
An excerpt from the letter reads: “There may have been five victims of X – who have been subject to a range of offences including multiple rapes.”
The letter adds that the “failure of others to act has enabled X to continue to offend”, and says the claims of rapes and assaults had been going on for more than two years.
Baroness Warsi, a Conservative peer, told Times Radio the Tories have “a problem” dealing with allegations of bullying and sexual misconduct – as she spoke out about the “rot” at the heart of the party.
“I think it does have a problem” she said. “Whether it’s bullying, whether it’s allegations of racism and now allegations of sexual misconduct, the party for years and years has simply failed to deal with responding to victims appropriately in all of those areas.
“We cannot be the party of government which governs in this country more than any other political party and still have this rot at the heart of us, whether that’s racism, whether that’s bullying, whether that’s sexual misconduct.”
The influential Tory peer said complaints had to “come to light” and be handled “quickly and coherently” for alleged victims to feel protected.
Veteran Tory MP and former Brexit secretary David Davis told GB News that any cover up of rape claims would be a “criminal offence in its own right” and would be a “matter for the police”.
Energy security secretary Claire Coutinho said complainants should “go to the police” with any allegations of rape against a Tory MP.
The Conservative Party said it would not be commenting. Mr Dowden said the allegations were “very serious” and that the party “takes them exceptionally seriously”.
