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Scotland Yard investigates allegations of drug use by Lord Sewel
Scotland Yard investigates allegations of drug use by Lord Sewel
(35 minutes later)
The Metropolitan police have launched an investigation into allegations of drug use by Lord Sewel, saying no arrests have been made at this stage.
Metropolitan police detectives have searched the Westminster flat of the former Labour minister Lord Sewel as part of a criminal investigation into allegations that he took cocaine with sex workers.
In a statement, the Met confirmed that a criminal investigation was under way, and that it had carried out a search at an address in central London.
As the crossbench peer faced calls to resign from the House of Lords over what David Cameron described as “very serious allegations”, Sewel announced on Monday night that he would take leave of absence from the upper house.
The statement said: “The Metropolitan police service has today, Monday, July 27, launched a criminal investigation into allegations of drug-related offences involving a member of the House of Lords.
Sewel made the announcement shortly after 5pm on Monday as detectives from the Met’s special enquiry team of the homicide and major crime command (HMCC) prepared to search his Dolphin Square flat. The search took place at 6pm under a warrant issued at Westminster magistrates court issued under section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
“A warrant under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, was today granted at Westminster magistrates court. The warrant was executed at 6pm at an address in central London by officers from the special inquiry team of the homicide and major crime command (HMCC).
Sewel, who had indicated on Sunday night that he planned to remain as a member of the House of Lords after a video of him allegedly taking cocaine with sex workers was published by the Sun on Sunday, wrote to the house authorities saying he would like to take leave of absence.
“No arrests have been made at this stage and inquiries are ongoing. One complaint in relation to this matter has been received. Our investigation commenced prior to this.”
This will take place from the next sitting day, 7 September, and will mean that he will not be able to claim the daily rate which varies between £150 and £300. Investigations by the Met and by the House of Lords commissioner for standards are continuing.
Sewel has said he will stay away from parliament until investigations into allegations that he took drugs while cavorting with sex workers are completed.
In a letter to the clerk of parliaments, David Beamish, Sewel wrote: “I wish to take leave of absence from the house as soon as it can be arranged. I also wish to make clear that in doing so I have no intention of returning to the house in any way until the current investigations have been completed, when in the light of their outcome I will review my long term position. I believe this is compatible with due process.”
The former minister said on Monday he had written to the clerk of the parliaments, David Beamish, requesting a leave of absence from the House of Lords, but left the door open to returning in the future.
Sewel made the move after facing mounting pressure to resign from the House of Lords with immediate effect after former Commons Speaker Lady Boothroyd described him as a “bad apple” who had brought the upper house into disrepute. The crossbench peer had resigned as deputy speaker on Sunday and had resigned from his post overseeing standards and privileges in the upper house as chairman of committees.
Scotland Yard and a parliamentary watchdog are looking into lurid claims about the former minister’s behaviour after the Sun on Sunday published video allegedly showing the naked peer snorting cocaine with two women.
Boothroyd told The World at One on BBC Radio 4 that he should go further. “I think the best thing that could happen now – and I know he has said he is going to relinquish his post as chairman of ways and means – [is] he should take a quiet way out of the back door of the House of Lords. I am sad for his family.”
During his leave of absence, Sewel will not be able to claim any allowances and must give three months’ notice if he wants to attend the house.
Lord Brabazon of Tara, a Tory peer who was Sewel’s immediate predecessor as chairman of committees, called on him to retire. But Brabazon raised the prospect that Sewel may be able to escape any sanction because he appears not to have committed an offence against the House of Lords, which has no rules about bringing the upper house into disrepute.
He wrote: “I wish to take leave of absence from the house as soon as it can be arranged. I also wish to make clear that in doing so I have no intention of returning to the house in any way until the current investigations have been completed, when in the light of their outcome I will review my long-term position. I believe this is compatible with due process.”
The Tory peer said: “What he has done, ghastly as it is, is not actually an offence against the House of Lords ... Apart from the code of conduct, which says you have got to behave on your honour – it is possible that could catch him – we don’t unfortunately have a rule of bringing the place into disrepute. I rather wish we did.”
Sewel is under intense pressure to quit the House of Lords over the allegations, after David Cameron questioned his future as a peer.
Lady D’Souza, the Lords Speaker who described Sewel’s behaviour on Sunday as “shocking and unacceptable” addressed Brabazon’s claims. In a letter to the standards commissioner, Paul Kernaghan, calling on him to investigate the allegations, D’Souza pointed out that the House of Lords code of conduct obliges peers to abide by the seven principles laid down by the committee on standards in public life. These include the requirement to act with integrity.
The former academic quit his £84,500-a-year role as deputy speaker of the Lords, which included overseeing conduct issues in the upper house, and has since been suspended from the Labour party.
The House of Lords authorities may face a delay of up to a year before they can use new powers to suspend or expel Sewel. The code of conduct for the Lords makes clear that any investigation by the standards commissioner has to be suspended if a matter is being investigated by the police.
But the prime minister indicated Sewel should be kicked out of the Lords over the “very serious” allegations while senior peers said he should quit immediately.
Speaking to reporters in Jakarta, Cameron said: “These are very serious allegations. I think it’s right he has stood down from his committee posts and I’m sure further questions will be asked about whether it is appropriate to have someone legislating and acting in the House of Lords if they have genuinely behaved in this way.
“It’s still going to take some time I suspect to get to the full truth.”
The newspaper’s footage shows the peer snorting white powder – alleged to be cocaine – from a sex worker’s breasts using a £5 note. The Lords commissioner for standards, Paul Kernaghan, a former police chief constable, is now carrying out an initial assessment of the allegations following a formal complaint made by the Liberal Democrats about Sewel. He is expected to decide within 48 hours whether to launch a full investigation that could lead to the peer being expelled from parliament.
Police sources indicated they would assess the evidence after the referral from the Speaker of the Lords, Lady D’Souza, but pointed out that drug-taking allegations were notoriously difficult to prove when there was only video evidence, rather than substances that could be tested.
Former Commons Speaker Lady Boothroyd said the peer had “brought the House into some disrepute” and should “take a quiet way out of the back door of the House of Lords”. She told BBC Radio 4’s World at One: “It doesn’t leave us with a very good smell under the nose of the public, quite frankly.
“You only need one bad apple in the barrel and he’s been the bad apple in this barrel,” she added. The shadow business secretary, Chuka Umunna, said the peer should “fall on his sword” if the allegations were proven. He said: “It’s very important to be clear that these are allegations, but if they are founded then of course it would be preferable for him to fall on his sword, if you like, before requiring others to intervene to get him to do the right thing.”
