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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Senior minister attacks Newsnight over Tory bullying claims coverage | Senior minister attacks Newsnight over Tory bullying claims coverage |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| A senior government minister has launched an attack on the BBC’s Newsnight for conducting a “witch-hunt” against the Tory chairman Lord Feldman, after it reported that he was given a dossier five years ago containing allegations of bullying in the party’s youth wing. | A senior government minister has launched an attack on the BBC’s Newsnight for conducting a “witch-hunt” against the Tory chairman Lord Feldman, after it reported that he was given a dossier five years ago containing allegations of bullying in the party’s youth wing. |
| Nick Boles, a business minister, accused the programme of being a “sinking ship desperately trying to reassert its political relevance” after it aired claims that Feldman had been warned about the alleged behaviour of the election aide Mark Clarke years ago. | Nick Boles, a business minister, accused the programme of being a “sinking ship desperately trying to reassert its political relevance” after it aired claims that Feldman had been warned about the alleged behaviour of the election aide Mark Clarke years ago. |
| The Tory chairman is under pressure to resign following the allegations of blackmail, bullying, and sexual harassment that have engulfed the party, which has been investigating accusations against Clarke since August. | The Tory chairman is under pressure to resign following the allegations of blackmail, bullying, and sexual harassment that have engulfed the party, which has been investigating accusations against Clarke since August. |
| A string of serious allegations against Clarke emerged after the apparent suicide in September of Elliott Johnson, a 21-year-old activist, who left a note naming the election aide as one of his alleged bullies. Clarke denies all allegations against him and has threatened legal action for defamation. | A string of serious allegations against Clarke emerged after the apparent suicide in September of Elliott Johnson, a 21-year-old activist, who left a note naming the election aide as one of his alleged bullies. Clarke denies all allegations against him and has threatened legal action for defamation. |
| Related: Elliott Johnson and Tory bullying claims – timeline | Related: Elliott Johnson and Tory bullying claims – timeline |
| Amid signs that Downing Street is pulling out the stops to protect Feldman, who is a university friend and tennis partner of David Cameron, Boles intervened with an article in ConservativeHome. | Amid signs that Downing Street is pulling out the stops to protect Feldman, who is a university friend and tennis partner of David Cameron, Boles intervened with an article in ConservativeHome. |
| “The death of one good man will not be assuaged by giving in to a media witch-hunt and forcing another good man to resign,” he wrote. | “The death of one good man will not be assuaged by giving in to a media witch-hunt and forcing another good man to resign,” he wrote. |
| “The BBC claims to be a standard bearer for objective and well-sourced reporting. So it’s frankly extraordinary that earlier this week it allowed Newsnight and then Today to lead with a story about a dossier which apparently they have not even seen, and broadcast one man’s claim that it was shown to Lord Feldman in 2010 without any corroborating evidence to back his assertion up. | “The BBC claims to be a standard bearer for objective and well-sourced reporting. So it’s frankly extraordinary that earlier this week it allowed Newsnight and then Today to lead with a story about a dossier which apparently they have not even seen, and broadcast one man’s claim that it was shown to Lord Feldman in 2010 without any corroborating evidence to back his assertion up. |
| “Having haemorrhaged its best reporters in recent weeks, Newsnight is a sinking ship trying desperately to reassert its political relevance. But let’s not stoop to its level. The BBC may be willing to compromise its standards; we should not.” | “Having haemorrhaged its best reporters in recent weeks, Newsnight is a sinking ship trying desperately to reassert its political relevance. But let’s not stoop to its level. The BBC may be willing to compromise its standards; we should not.” |
| The existence of an alleged dossier was revealed to the BBC programme by Patrick Sullivan, who runs the Conservative thinktank Parliament Street. Sullivan claims it contains warnings about Clarke and was made available to Feldman as long ago as 2010. | The existence of an alleged dossier was revealed to the BBC programme by Patrick Sullivan, who runs the Conservative thinktank Parliament Street. Sullivan claims it contains warnings about Clarke and was made available to Feldman as long ago as 2010. |
| In response, Feldman said he was unaware of any allegations of bullying in the party’s youth wing until August this year – a position he has maintained from the start. “Such behaviour is abhorrent to me and had this been brought to my attention, I would have taken immediate action to investigate,” he added. | In response, Feldman said he was unaware of any allegations of bullying in the party’s youth wing until August this year – a position he has maintained from the start. “Such behaviour is abhorrent to me and had this been brought to my attention, I would have taken immediate action to investigate,” he added. |
| Grant Shapps, the former Tory co-chairman, stepped down as a government minister over the scandal, since he brought Clarke on board as coordinator of the RoadTrip, which bussed young activists across the country. | Grant Shapps, the former Tory co-chairman, stepped down as a government minister over the scandal, since he brought Clarke on board as coordinator of the RoadTrip, which bussed young activists across the country. |
| Related: Inside the investigation that forced Grant Shapps to resign | Related: Inside the investigation that forced Grant Shapps to resign |
| Serious questions have been raised about the Conservative party’s handling of the allegations since August, while Feldman has been in sole charge of the party. | Serious questions have been raised about the Conservative party’s handling of the allegations since August, while Feldman has been in sole charge of the party. |
| One of the most pressing questions being examined by the party’s now independent inquiry is whether the names of Clarke’s accusers were leaked back to him during the initial stages of the investigation. | One of the most pressing questions being examined by the party’s now independent inquiry is whether the names of Clarke’s accusers were leaked back to him during the initial stages of the investigation. |
| Feldman was also one of four senior officials to sign off the money for Clarke’s RoadTrip operation. | Feldman was also one of four senior officials to sign off the money for Clarke’s RoadTrip operation. |
| In his article, Boles defended the party chairman by talking of the “great service” he has done the Conservatives since taking over, by eradicating its debts and moving it into robust financial health. | In his article, Boles defended the party chairman by talking of the “great service” he has done the Conservatives since taking over, by eradicating its debts and moving it into robust financial health. |
| It ends: “We will do nothing for Elliott Johnson by hounding Andrew Feldman out of his job. We will simply be adding an injustice to the heartbreaking situation in which an idealistic young man so despaired of his life that he decided to end it.” | It ends: “We will do nothing for Elliott Johnson by hounding Andrew Feldman out of his job. We will simply be adding an injustice to the heartbreaking situation in which an idealistic young man so despaired of his life that he decided to end it.” |
| Asked if Cameron retained full confidence in Boles, a Downing Street spokesman replied: “Yes.” | Asked if Cameron retained full confidence in Boles, a Downing Street spokesman replied: “Yes.” |
| A BBC spokesperson said; “Newsnight has broken a series of important stories about the Conservative party’s failure properly to act on warnings about bullying and the behaviour of Mark Clarke. Its latest story, about a 2010 dossier given to Lord Feldman and Sayeeda Warsi, was well sourced and fairly aired Lord Feldman’s denial that he received the document. Lord Feldman’s account of what he knew about Mark Clarke is now contradicted both by one of his own MPs and a Conservative activist. It would be very curious if anyone thought that was not an important story worth reporting.” |