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| Watson issues partial retraction over Brittan child abuse claims | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Tom Watson, the Labour deputy leader, has issued a partial retraction over his allegations of child sexual abuse against the former Conservative home secretary Leon Brittan. | Tom Watson, the Labour deputy leader, has issued a partial retraction over his allegations of child sexual abuse against the former Conservative home secretary Leon Brittan. |
| Watson said on Friday that after his death in January, he should not have written that Lord Brittan was “as close to evil as any human being can get”. He said the phrase, which came from an alleged victim of child abuse, was emotive and he should not have used it. | Watson said on Friday that after his death in January, he should not have written that Lord Brittan was “as close to evil as any human being can get”. He said the phrase, which came from an alleged victim of child abuse, was emotive and he should not have used it. |
| However, Watson declined to apologise for asking the police to launch a fresh investigation into Brittan, saying it was his duty to pass allegations of child sexual abuse to the police. | However, Watson declined to apologise for asking the police to launch a fresh investigation into Brittan, saying it was his duty to pass allegations of child sexual abuse to the police. |
| He pointed out that his questions in parliament about a network of paedophiles had led to convictions, and insisted “my motivation throughout has been to help victims as best as I could”. | He pointed out that his questions in parliament about a network of paedophiles had led to convictions, and insisted “my motivation throughout has been to help victims as best as I could”. |
| He said he had heard what he regarded as compelling evidence from an alleged victim of child abuse relating to Brittan, and felt it was his duty to pass the evidence to the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to reach a judgement after examining all the available evidence. | He said he had heard what he regarded as compelling evidence from an alleged victim of child abuse relating to Brittan, and felt it was his duty to pass the evidence to the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to reach a judgement after examining all the available evidence. |
| Brittan has been exonerated by the police. | Brittan has been exonerated by the police. |
| Related: Leon Brittan's brother demands apology from Tom Watson for sex crime claims | Related: Leon Brittan's brother demands apology from Tom Watson for sex crime claims |
| In a Huffington Post blog, Watson added: “I have said in the past that I am sorry for the distress Leon Brittan’s family experienced as they grieved for him. I still am. But I wanted the claims made against him properly investigated. | In a Huffington Post blog, Watson added: “I have said in the past that I am sorry for the distress Leon Brittan’s family experienced as they grieved for him. I still am. But I wanted the claims made against him properly investigated. |
| “The choice facing anyone who is presented with testimony of this kind is whether to pass it on to the authorities and urge them to investigate or to ignore it. I chose the first option. I felt it was my duty to do so.” | “The choice facing anyone who is presented with testimony of this kind is whether to pass it on to the authorities and urge them to investigate or to ignore it. I chose the first option. I felt it was my duty to do so.” |
| Brittan’s brother, Sir Samuel Brittan, 83, had called on Watson to apologise directly to his sister-in-law, Lady Diana, for wrongly accusing her late husband of rape and child abuse. He claimed Watson had damaged Brittan’s reputation with “unforgiveable” slurs. | Brittan’s brother, Sir Samuel Brittan, 83, had called on Watson to apologise directly to his sister-in-law, Lady Diana, for wrongly accusing her late husband of rape and child abuse. He claimed Watson had damaged Brittan’s reputation with “unforgiveable” slurs. |
| Samuel Brittan, a retired former Financial Times executive and columnist, said: “He should apologise to my sister-in law for making unfounded accusations against my brother. And he should apologise in public as well.” | Samuel Brittan, a retired former Financial Times executive and columnist, said: “He should apologise to my sister-in law for making unfounded accusations against my brother. And he should apologise in public as well.” |
| He condemned police for their “outrageous treatment” of his brother, adding: “I was brought up with people saying the English police were wonderful. I’m not sure I could repeat that now.” | He condemned police for their “outrageous treatment” of his brother, adding: “I was brought up with people saying the English police were wonderful. I’m not sure I could repeat that now.” |
| After Brittan died in January, Watson wrote an article describing how the peer stood “accused of multiple child rape” and repeated accusations he said came from victims that Brittan was “as close to evil as any human being could get”. | After Brittan died in January, Watson wrote an article describing how the peer stood “accused of multiple child rape” and repeated accusations he said came from victims that Brittan was “as close to evil as any human being could get”. |
| In an article in the Daily Mirror, Watson wrote: “It is not for me to judge whether the claims made against Brittan are true. It’s for the police to investigate these claims as they continue to do. But I believe the people I’ve spoken to are sincere.” | In an article in the Daily Mirror, Watson wrote: “It is not for me to judge whether the claims made against Brittan are true. It’s for the police to investigate these claims as they continue to do. But I believe the people I’ve spoken to are sincere.” |
| During his lifetime, Brittan consistently denied allegations of child sexual abuse. | During his lifetime, Brittan consistently denied allegations of child sexual abuse. |
| Watson has been a central figure in making claims about the existence of an establishment paedophile ring, and played a key role in having a rape case against Brittan reopened after it was closed because of a lack of evidence. | Watson has been a central figure in making claims about the existence of an establishment paedophile ring, and played a key role in having a rape case against Brittan reopened after it was closed because of a lack of evidence. |
| The late peer was questioned under caution while terminally ill with cancer last summer, but police concluded there was nothing in the allegation to merit further action. | The late peer was questioned under caution while terminally ill with cancer last summer, but police concluded there was nothing in the allegation to merit further action. |
| However, Brittan was not informed by the police of their decision before his death, and his widow was only told of it in the last week. | However, Brittan was not informed by the police of their decision before his death, and his widow was only told of it in the last week. |
| The force’s oversight was criticised by Boris Johnson. The mayor of London told the Daily Telegraph: “I welcome the fact that the Met has now apologised to Lady Brittan. It is clear that the delay in informing her that there was no case to answer is completely unacceptable and I have raised the matter with the commissioner.” | The force’s oversight was criticised by Boris Johnson. The mayor of London told the Daily Telegraph: “I welcome the fact that the Met has now apologised to Lady Brittan. It is clear that the delay in informing her that there was no case to answer is completely unacceptable and I have raised the matter with the commissioner.” |
| The former Conservative chancellor Norman Lamont, writing in the Daily Telegraph, also attacked the police. “After Lord Brittan’s death came the police raid on his two houses, while his widow was still sorting out his belongings, some of which were carted away. As with Cliff Richard … BBC journalists told people that they had been tipped off by the police. | The former Conservative chancellor Norman Lamont, writing in the Daily Telegraph, also attacked the police. “After Lord Brittan’s death came the police raid on his two houses, while his widow was still sorting out his belongings, some of which were carted away. As with Cliff Richard … BBC journalists told people that they had been tipped off by the police. |
| “Before Lord Brittan died, the police, referring to a rape accusation, suggested he should take part in an identity parade. That seems beyond satire. How could a well-known public person, already named and identified by his accuser, usefully take part in such a charade?” | “Before Lord Brittan died, the police, referring to a rape accusation, suggested he should take part in an identity parade. That seems beyond satire. How could a well-known public person, already named and identified by his accuser, usefully take part in such a charade?” |
| He said he visited Brittan several times before he died and “saw the suffering of a man under the shadow of the vilest accusations. This was an extremely painful time for his wife.” | He said he visited Brittan several times before he died and “saw the suffering of a man under the shadow of the vilest accusations. This was an extremely painful time for his wife.” |
| Watson, the Labour MP for West Bromwich East who was elected deputy leader last month, has a track record of taking up unpopular issues, but he will have to decide whether, in this case, he struck the right balance between the rights of the alleged victims and those of the accused. | Watson, the Labour MP for West Bromwich East who was elected deputy leader last month, has a track record of taking up unpopular issues, but he will have to decide whether, in this case, he struck the right balance between the rights of the alleged victims and those of the accused. |
| In the same Mirror article he highlighted the allegations, writing: “I have spoken to those who claimed he abused them. So these allegations have come to me first-hand, not through insinuation or innuendo.” | In the same Mirror article he highlighted the allegations, writing: “I have spoken to those who claimed he abused them. So these allegations have come to me first-hand, not through insinuation or innuendo.” |
| Scotland Yard investigated allegations against Brittan from a woman known as “Jane”, which first surfaced in 2012, but after consulting the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to take the investigation any further and Brittan was informed he was in the clear. | Scotland Yard investigated allegations against Brittan from a woman known as “Jane”, which first surfaced in 2012, but after consulting the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to take the investigation any further and Brittan was informed he was in the clear. |
| In May 2014, Watson wrote to the Met and Alison Saunders, the director of public prosecutions, to complain that the investigation had been dropped without interviewing Brittan. | In May 2014, Watson wrote to the Met and Alison Saunders, the director of public prosecutions, to complain that the investigation had been dropped without interviewing Brittan. |
| On Thursday night, Keith Vaz, the chairman of the home affairs select committee, wrote to the Met demanding answers over the case, and asking how the police seemed so incapable of admitting error. | On Thursday night, Keith Vaz, the chairman of the home affairs select committee, wrote to the Met demanding answers over the case, and asking how the police seemed so incapable of admitting error. |