This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/dec/21/cabinet-inquiry-finds-mark-garnier-did-not-breach-ministerial-code
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Cabinet inquiry finds Mark Garnier did not breach ministerial code | Cabinet inquiry finds Mark Garnier did not breach ministerial code |
| (25 days later) | |
| Theresa May believes ‘line should be drawn’ under incident where trade minister asked assistant to buy sex toys | |
| Peter Walker | |
| Thu 21 Dec 2017 16.56 GMT | |
| First published on Thu 21 Dec 2017 16.52 GMT | |
| Share on Facebook | |
| Share on Twitter | |
| Share via Email | |
| View more sharing options | |
| Share on LinkedIn | |
| Share on Pinterest | |
| Share on Google+ | |
| Share on WhatsApp | |
| Share on Messenger | |
| Close | |
| The junior trade minister Mark Garnier has been formally cleared of wrongdoing for asking his former assistant to buy a sex toy and calling her “sugar tits”, with no action being taken against him, Downing Street has said. | The junior trade minister Mark Garnier has been formally cleared of wrongdoing for asking his former assistant to buy a sex toy and calling her “sugar tits”, with no action being taken against him, Downing Street has said. |
| Garnier did not deny the accusations about the events in 2010, made by his former assistant Caroline Edmondson, which prompted a one-month investigation by the Cabinet Office to see if he had breached the ministerial code. | Garnier did not deny the accusations about the events in 2010, made by his former assistant Caroline Edmondson, which prompted a one-month investigation by the Cabinet Office to see if he had breached the ministerial code. |
| Summarising the findings, a Downing Street spokesman said in a statement there was no evidence Garnier had done anything wrong since becoming a minister in July 2016. | Summarising the findings, a Downing Street spokesman said in a statement there was no evidence Garnier had done anything wrong since becoming a minister in July 2016. |
| The investigation also heard evidence “in relation to an incident that happened before Mr Garnier was a minister, between Mr Garnier and a member of his parliamentary and constituency staff”, the statement said. | The investigation also heard evidence “in relation to an incident that happened before Mr Garnier was a minister, between Mr Garnier and a member of his parliamentary and constituency staff”, the statement said. |
| “The Cabinet Office concluded that there was no dispute about the facts of the incident, but there was a significant difference of interpretation between the parties, and that the member of staff in Mr Garnier’s office was distressed by what had occurred. | “The Cabinet Office concluded that there was no dispute about the facts of the incident, but there was a significant difference of interpretation between the parties, and that the member of staff in Mr Garnier’s office was distressed by what had occurred. |
| “It was not his intention to cause distress, and Mr Garnier has apologised unreservedly to the individual. On that basis the prime minister considers that a line should be drawn under the issue.” | “It was not his intention to cause distress, and Mr Garnier has apologised unreservedly to the individual. On that basis the prime minister considers that a line should be drawn under the issue.” |
| According to a report in the Mail on Sunday in October, Garnier gave Edmondson money to buy a sex toy for his wife and another for a woman working in his Wyre Forest constituency office. | According to a report in the Mail on Sunday in October, Garnier gave Edmondson money to buy a sex toy for his wife and another for a woman working in his Wyre Forest constituency office. |
| Edmondson said: “He suggested to me in a Commons bar one evening that we went shopping for sex toys in Soho. The next day, he said: ‘Come on, let’s do it.’ He took me to Soho and gave me the money to buy two vibrators. He stood outside the shop while I did.” | Edmondson said: “He suggested to me in a Commons bar one evening that we went shopping for sex toys in Soho. The next day, he said: ‘Come on, let’s do it.’ He took me to Soho and gave me the money to buy two vibrators. He stood outside the shop while I did.” |
| Garnier, a former City fund manager, is married with three children and was elected as MP for Wyre Forest in 2010. | Garnier, a former City fund manager, is married with three children and was elected as MP for Wyre Forest in 2010. |
| Garnier also admitted he referred to Edmondson as “sugar tits”, saying this was a reference to the BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey. He added: “It absolutely does not constitute harassment.” | Garnier also admitted he referred to Edmondson as “sugar tits”, saying this was a reference to the BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey. He added: “It absolutely does not constitute harassment.” |
| Conservatives | |
| news | |
| Share on Facebook | |
| Share on Twitter | |
| Share via Email | |
| Share on LinkedIn | |
| Share on Pinterest | |
| Share on Google+ | |
| Share on WhatsApp | |
| Share on Messenger | |
| Reuse this content |