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| Lib Dems will take no action against Lord Rennard over harassment claims | Lib Dems will take no action against Lord Rennard over harassment claims |
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| The Liberal Democrats will not take any disciplinary action against Lord Rennard, the party's former chief executive, who was accused of sexually pestering women. | The Liberal Democrats will not take any disciplinary action against Lord Rennard, the party's former chief executive, who was accused of sexually pestering women. |
| Alistair Webster, a QC appointed to look at the evidence as part of a disciplinary process, found that the peer ought to apologise and commit to changing his behaviour, which may have caused "distress" to women, but that there was not sufficient evidence that he had acted in a sexually inappropriate way. Rennard has always vigorously denied acting inappropriately towards the complainants. | Alistair Webster, a QC appointed to look at the evidence as part of a disciplinary process, found that the peer ought to apologise and commit to changing his behaviour, which may have caused "distress" to women, but that there was not sufficient evidence that he had acted in a sexually inappropriate way. Rennard has always vigorously denied acting inappropriately towards the complainants. |
| "In my opinion, the evidence of behaviour which violated the personal space and autonomy of the complainants was broadly credible," Webster said in a statement. "However, it is my judgment, considering all of the evidence collected, that it is unlikely that it could be established beyond reasonable doubt that Lord Rennard had intended to act in an indecent or sexually inappropriate way. Without proof of such an intention, I do not consider that such a charge would be tenable." | "In my opinion, the evidence of behaviour which violated the personal space and autonomy of the complainants was broadly credible," Webster said in a statement. "However, it is my judgment, considering all of the evidence collected, that it is unlikely that it could be established beyond reasonable doubt that Lord Rennard had intended to act in an indecent or sexually inappropriate way. Without proof of such an intention, I do not consider that such a charge would be tenable." |
| The decision marks the end of investigations into Rennard, after police last year dropped their inquiries into the allegations made by several female party members. | The decision marks the end of investigations into Rennard, after police last year dropped their inquiries into the allegations made by several female party members. |
| Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, has admitted that the party did not listen properly to the complaints at the time. An independent report by Helena Morrissey, a businesswoman, also found the deputy prime minister had been wrong not to launch a formal inquiry at the time of the allegations in 2008. | |
| However, Webster said he had considered evidence from all the witnesses and found it was not appropriate to charge Rennard with acting in a way that had brought the party into disrepute, which could have led to him being expelled from the party. | However, Webster said he had considered evidence from all the witnesses and found it was not appropriate to charge Rennard with acting in a way that had brought the party into disrepute, which could have led to him being expelled from the party. |
| "It is my view that Lord Rennard ought to reflect upon the effect that his behaviour has had and the distress which it caused and that an apology would be appropriate, as would a commitment to change his behaviour in future," he added. | "It is my view that Lord Rennard ought to reflect upon the effect that his behaviour has had and the distress which it caused and that an apology would be appropriate, as would a commitment to change his behaviour in future," he added. |
| The lawyer stressed that he was not finding that the evidence of the complainants was unreliable, and said the evidence suggested Rennard's behaviour had caused distress to a number of women. He also discounted suggestions made during the investigation that the incidents had been invented as part of a political campaign against Rennard. | |
| In response, Tim Farron, the party president, said the Liberal Democrats would look again at its disciplinary procedures and said the party believed that Rennard did not behave in an appropriate way for a chief executive. | In response, Tim Farron, the party president, said the Liberal Democrats would look again at its disciplinary procedures and said the party believed that Rennard did not behave in an appropriate way for a chief executive. |
| "The Liberal Democrats have taken the allegations made against Lord Rennard extremely seriously, which is why we appointed an eminent and experienced QC to examine the evidence. As a party we have no choice but to accept Alistair Webster QC's conclusions, but that does not mean I am content," he said. "Lord Rennard is not a current employee of the party and therefore the threshold that must be met for disciplinary action is higher than if this was a company HR procedure. In Alistair Webster QC's view, that threshold was unlikely to be met. | "The Liberal Democrats have taken the allegations made against Lord Rennard extremely seriously, which is why we appointed an eminent and experienced QC to examine the evidence. As a party we have no choice but to accept Alistair Webster QC's conclusions, but that does not mean I am content," he said. "Lord Rennard is not a current employee of the party and therefore the threshold that must be met for disciplinary action is higher than if this was a company HR procedure. In Alistair Webster QC's view, that threshold was unlikely to be met. |
| "While this process has not found to a criminal standard of proof that Lord Rennard acted with indecent intent, it is clear that he did not behave in the way that a chief executive should behave. Lord Rennard must reflect on his actions and apologise to the women involved." | "While this process has not found to a criminal standard of proof that Lord Rennard acted with indecent intent, it is clear that he did not behave in the way that a chief executive should behave. Lord Rennard must reflect on his actions and apologise to the women involved." |
| Farron added: "These allegations prompted the party to take a long, hard look in the mirror. The Liberal Democrats are, and must always be, a party where everyone is treated with respect." | Farron added: "These allegations prompted the party to take a long, hard look in the mirror. The Liberal Democrats are, and must always be, a party where everyone is treated with respect." |
| He said the Liberal Democrats had changed a lot of things about the party, including appointing a pastoral care officer, and reviewing complaint procedures, after an "extremely uncomfortable" year. | He said the Liberal Democrats had changed a lot of things about the party, including appointing a pastoral care officer, and reviewing complaint procedures, after an "extremely uncomfortable" year. |
| "I am determined that as we continually review and improve our culture and processes we make sure that we reach the gold standard of how to protect volunteers and staff at every level of the party from harassment and inappropriate behaviour and ensure swift and just censure to those who behave in that way," he said. | "I am determined that as we continually review and improve our culture and processes we make sure that we reach the gold standard of how to protect volunteers and staff at every level of the party from harassment and inappropriate behaviour and ensure swift and just censure to those who behave in that way," he said. |
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