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People's Vote chief takes leave of absence after harassment claims People's Vote chief stands down after harassment claims
(about 4 hours later)
Patrick Heneghan steps down pending inquiry into claims by three female staff members Patrick Heneghan makes decision pending inquiry into claims by three female staff members
The chief executive of the People’s Vote campaign has taken a leave of absence before an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment made by three female members of staff. The acting chief executive of the People’s Vote campaign has stepped down while an investigation takes place into allegations of harassment towards female staff, it has emerged.
Patrick Heneghan has stepped down from the cross-party campaign group after female staff wrote a letter saying they did not feel safe returning to work while Heneghan was “in a position of power and authority”, the Sunday Times reported. In the latest development in the implosion of the second referendum campaign, Patrick Heneghan, a former head of campaigns for the Labour party, has been accused of acting inappropriately towards three female staff members while working within another anti-Brexit campaign group.
Roland Rudd, the campaign’s chairman, sent staff an email on Saturday saying that Heneghan had taken a leave of absence pending the investigation by a law firm. Heneghan, who denies the claims, has opted to stand down while they are investigated by an independent team of lawyers. It comes with dozens of staff members still refusing to return to work after two senior campaign figures were fired as part of an alleged power grab by Roland Rudd, the PR guru and the campaign’s chairman.
“Patrick has said that he wants the opportunity to try to clear his name,” the email said. “I know that the last few weeks have been difficult for many people but I hope that we can begin to put these events behind us and proceed as a team.” Staff had said they would not return to work while Heneghan, appointed by Rudd just weeks ago, was at the helm. Others still want to see the reinstatement of James McGrory and Tom Baldwin, the former officials fired by Rudd.
Heneghan, who was appointed less than a fortnight ago, said the allegations were false and politically motivated. Heneghan said: “I totally deny these politically motivated allegations. I’ve already fully complied with an initial investigation and will now take a couple of weeks of leave to comply with another one.”
Stuart Hand, a former Conservative party elections official, has been appointed acting head of the campaign. An ally said Heneghan had worked in politics for 22 years without ever facing any allegations of this nature. “He is being smeared and threatened as collateral damage in a battle between Roland Rudd and the former senior staff he sacked,” they said.
The People’s Vote campaign has meanwhile launched a tactical voting app and pledged £100,000 to Labour, Lib Dem and Green candidates who support another referendum. The Observer revealed last week that some staff had written to Rudd, saying they did not “feel safe returning to work”. The claims against Heneghan concern his conduct during a karaoke evening out and the propositioning of female colleagues. While Heneghan’s allies see the claims as a smear designed to undermine Rudd, friends of the women said there was evidence that they had discussed reporting the allegations before Rudd’s decision to fire senior staff and restructure the campaign.
People’s Vote said: “The appetite for a people’s vote has never been keener. Supporting those candidates who can deliver a final say referendum is vital for Britain’s future health and prosperity.” A letter to the board of Open Britain, the largest of five organisations that form People’s Vote, states Heneghan will stand down while an investigation is conducted. Anne Weyman, a member of the board, states: “Patrick Heneghan will be taking a leave of absence from the organisation while an independent investigation takes place into allegations made against him. Patrick has said he wants the opportunity to try to clear his name.”
It is one of several initiatives to try and unite the remain vote. Gina Miller, the pro-remain businesswoman, is launching a campaign to improve the chances of securing a second referendum in the next parliament. Stuart Hand, who was a director of campaigns at Open Britain, has been appointed as Heneghan’s interim replacement. A statement released on behalf of People’s Vote campaign staff on strike states: “There’s a real danger that the errors of the past fortnight will be compounded unless the board of Open Britain finally grasps the opportunity to open a proper dialogue with these organisations and the staff.
She is unveiling a website with advice on how remain supporters could vote tactically in nearly all of the 649 constituencies up for election by deploying artificial intelligence. “This campaign is about more than boardroom machinations and power. It is about the future of our country. We want nothing more than to get back to work in this crucial general election to stop Boris Johnson forcing his hard Brexit on the people of the UK.”