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Tom Watson refuses to apologise over Leon Brittan allegations Tom Watson refuses to apologise over Leon Brittan allegations
(about 2 hours later)
Tom Watson has issued a defiant response to the prime minister’s demands that he apologise for pressurising the police to reopen a rape investigation into the former Conservative home secretary Leon Brittan. Labour’s deputy leader told parliament that it was the children who have suffered abuse who deserve an apology, and not necessarily the widow of Lord Brittan, after being urged to “examine his conscience” by David Cameron. Tom Watson has issued a defiant response to the prime minister’s demands that he apologise for pressurising the police to reopen a rape investigation into former Conservative home secretary Leon Brittan.
The statement follows the pursuit of Watson by the Conservatives since last Tuesday’s Panorama programme, which examined claims of a paedophile ring involving VIPs in Westminster. Labour’s deputy leader told parliament on Monday that it was the children who have suffered abuse who deserve an apology after being urged to “examine his conscience” by David Cameron.
Brittan died in January without knowing that he had been cleared of suspicion. It has emerged that Watson wrote to the director of public prosecutions, Alison Saunders, about an allegation of rape when he learned that the police inquiry was being dropped. Speaking after three days of damaging headlines and claims, Watson refused to resign.
Responding to a point of order by Sir Nicholas Soames, Watson said: “I understand that honourable and right honourable members feel aggrieved that Leon Brittan was interviewed by the police and that they are angry with my use of language. But I’m sure that they would also agree that when anyone is accused of multiple sexual crimes by numerous, completely unrelated sources, the police have a duty to investigate, no matter who it is. My letter was prompted by concern that procedures were not followed.” His statement follows the pursuit of Watson by the Conservatives since last Tuesday’s Panorama programme, which examined his role in forcing police to investigate multiple claims of sexual abuse.
Addressing Cameron’s comments head on, he said the survivors of abuse have been ignored and belittled for too long. “Earlier the prime minister said that I should examine my conscience. Well, I think we all need to examine our consciences in this house. We presided over a state of affairs where children have been abused, and then ignored, dismissed and then disdained. If anyone deserves an apology, it’s them,” he said. Brittan died in January without knowing that he had been cleared of suspicion from the allegation he had raped a woman. It has emerged that Watson had earlier written to the director of public prosecutions, Alison Saunders, about an allegation of rape when he learned that the police inquiry was being dropped.
In unusually tense scenes, as Watson took his seat, some Tory MPs shouted: “Shame!” and “Disgrace!” across the floor of the House of Commons. Watson had already apologised on Friday last week for saying that Brittan was “close to evil” when he was asked to respond to a point of order from Sir Nicholas Soames who said he had “viley traduced” the former home secretary. The Labour deputy leader told the Commons: “I understand that honourable and right honourable members feel aggrieved that Leon Brittan was interviewed by the police and that they are angry with my use of language. But I’m sure that they would also agree that when anyone is accused of multiple sexual crimes by numerous, completely unrelated sources, the police have a duty to investigate, no matter who it is.”
The alleged rape victim, known as “Jane”, reported the alleged offence to police in 2012 in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal. But after consulting the Crown Prosecution Service, police told her in 2013 they had no plans to either arrest or interview Brittan. It is understood that Jane then asked Exaro News to arrange a meeting with Watson so that she could tell him about the police response to her allegations. Addressing Cameron’s comments, he said the survivors of abuse have been ignored and belittled for too long. “Earlier the prime minister said that I should examine my conscience. Well, I think we all need to examine our consciences in this house. We presided over a state of affairs where children have been abused, and then ignored, dismissed and then disdained. If anyone deserves an apology, it’s them,” he said.
Watson announced that he had written to Saunders demanding a review of the police investigation, suggesting that the police were unwilling to investigate Brittan because of the alleged rapist’s status. In unusually tense scenes, as Watson sat down, some Tory MPs shouted: “Shame!” and “Disgrace!” across the floor of the House of Commons.
Detailed extracts of Watson’s letter were published by Exaro News in May last year, which said it had been passed the correspondence by Jane. Watson wrote in the letter: “I am driven to the unpalatable conclusion that the identity of the alleged perpetrator – [name redacted] – may in some way have influenced treatment of the case. I hope I am wrong.” He added that there had been a “sea change in the climate surrounding rape, historic[al] cases in particular. Why is it that the tide has not reached this case?” In an interview with Heart radio on Monday morning, Cameron increased pressure upon Watson. “It’s clear he [Watson] has got a lot of questions to answer and the House of Commons select committees are quite rightly going to ask him some questions. And so I’m sure that he should answer those questions and examine his conscience about whether he’s said enough so far,” he said.
Weeks after Watson’s letter, detectives interviewed Brittan under caution at the central London offices of law firm Mishcon de Reya. Brittan died not knowing that the investigation had been dropped. The Conservative MP Nigel Evans, who was cleared of rape and sexual assault allegations following a high-profile trial last year, said Watson’s refusal to apologise for “hounding Leon Brittan beyond the grave” called into question his judgment as deputy Labour leader.
In an interview with Heart radio on Monday morning, Cameron chose to make a statement on Watson’s involvement. “It’s clear he [Watson] has got a lot of questions to answer and the House of Commons select committees are quite rightly going to ask him some questions. And so I’m sure that he should answer those questions and examine his conscience about whether he’s said enough so far,” he said. “If he had an ounce of compassion at all then he would realise the untold damage he has done to the Brittan family. The stress and trauma that he perpetrated to them is really quite difficult to put into words – it’s tantamount to a campaign of terror that he’s waged on this family.”
Cameron intervened in the row following several stories about Watson’s involvement in the claims against Brittan, some of which also involved the much criticised website Exaro. The Telegraph claimed that a senior detective, Ch Insp Paul Settle, former head of the Metropolitan police paedophile unit, stepped down from the VIP child sex abuse inquiry following a series of interventions by Watson. Evans also questioned the propriety of Saunders, the director of public prosecutions, for passing Watson’s letter to the detectives investigating Brittan. “There’s no doubt that the police receiving that letter from the director of public prosecutions would view it as a clear indication of where they should go,” he said.
The Daily Mail reported that Watson’s step-uncle, Peter Halliwell, a former scoutmaster, was jailed last year for assaulting a nine-year-old Cub scout between 1965 and 1967. Watson told the paper: “I barely know Peter Halliwell. His victim deserved justice and I’m glad he got it.” Sir Samuel Brittan, Leon’s brother, said Watson should resign. “I don’t think he knew anything about my brother. I think he was just looking for scandal because he’s not intelligent enough to do his proper job as an opposition MP,” he told ITV News.
Watson later told Channel 4 news: “We can never again allow victims to have their voices unheard in the criminal justice system. All I can say to you is that there is far more to this case than meets the eye.”
Asked whether he would now speak to Lord Brittan’s family, Watson said: “I’m not entirely certain whether that would be productive.”
The alleged rape victim, known as “Jane”, reported the alleged offence to police in 2012 but police told her in 2013 they had no plans to either arrest or interview Brittan. It is understood that Jane then asked the news website Exaro to arrange a meeting with Watson so that she could tell him about the police response to her allegations.
Watson then announced that he had written to Saunders demanding a review of the police investigation, suggesting that the police were unwilling to investigate Brittan over the alleged rape because of his status.
Detailed extracts of Watson’s letter were published by Exaro in May last year. Watson, who released the letters himself, wrote: “I am driven to the unpalatable conclusion that the identity of the alleged perpetrator – [name redacted] – may in some way have influenced treatment of the case. I hope I am wrong.” He added that there had been a “sea change in the climate surrounding rape, historic[al] cases in particular. Why is it that the tide has not reached this case?”
Saunders replied saying that the Met police investigation was “a live one” and would forward Watson’s letter to the police.
Weeks after Watson’s letter, detectives interviewed Brittan, who was dying of cancer, under caution at the central London offices of law firm Mishcon de Reya.
Senior Tories remain angry that it took police so long to clear Brittan. A senior Scotland Yard officer wrote to Brittan’s widow last week to apologise for failing to tell the family before the peer’s death in January that he had been cleared of the rape allegations. London mayor Boris Johnson is expected to receive a full explanation from the Metropolitan police this week.
Cameron’s intervention followed several stories about Watson’s involvement in the claims against Brittan. The Telegraph claimed that a senior detective, CI Paul Settle, former head of the Met paedophile unit, stepped down from the VIP child sex abuse inquiry following a series of interventions by Watson.
Soames rose in the house to ask whether Watson had sought to make a personal statement “apologising for the way in which he has so vilely traduced the late Lord Brittan and further for him to have a chance to apologise to Lord Brittan’s dignified and courageous widow”.Soames rose in the house to ask whether Watson had sought to make a personal statement “apologising for the way in which he has so vilely traduced the late Lord Brittan and further for him to have a chance to apologise to Lord Brittan’s dignified and courageous widow”.
Bob Neill, the Conservative chairman of the justice committee, has demanded the publication of a letter that Watson wrote to Saunders in which the Labour MP called for the accusations against Brittan to be reinvestigated.
Neill has also called for Saunders’ subsequent correspondence with the police to be made public to gauge how much influence Watson’s interventions had in Scotland Yard’s decision to reopen the case.
The home affairs select committee will consider whether to call Watson at a meeting on Tuesday afternoon.The home affairs select committee will consider whether to call Watson at a meeting on Tuesday afternoon.