Clegg under fire for saying Nigella attack was ‘just fleeting’

NICK Clegg has come under fire after saying he was “uncertain” whether he would have intervened on the assault on Nigella Lawson by her husband, suggesting it may only have been a “fleeting” attack.
Nigella LawsonNigella Lawson
Nigella Lawson

The Deputy Prime Minister’s response to a question on his Call Clegg radio show this morning was immediately condemned by female MPs and comes after he was criticised over his handling of the Lord Rennard affair earlier this week.

Labour frontbencher Diana Johnson, the MP for Hull North, immediately told the Commons a debate should be called to discuss issues around domestic violence.

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“In light of the comments that have been reported this morning from the deputy prime minister, who described the Nigella Lawson incident of domestic violence as “fleeting” - when we know that perpetrator has accepted a caution for assault - can we please have a debate on how seriously the government take the issue of domestic violence?” she asked Leader of the House Andrew Lansley.

Nigella LawsonNigella Lawson
Nigella Lawson

Meanwhile, a Home Office minister today denied there was one rule for the famous and another for everyone else after being challenged on the caution accepted by Charles Saatchi for clutching the throat of his wife.

Labour MP Sandra Osborne (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) questioned whether it was the “norm” for assaults in public to be punished in this way.

Speaking during women and equalities questions in the Commons, she said: “Only 6.5% of domestic violence incidents recorded by the police result in conviction. What kind of message does it send if an alleged perpetrator can receive a caution in spite of extensive corroborative evidence?

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“Is this the norm? If it is the norm, no wonder conviction rates are so low. Or is it a question of is there one rule for the rich and famous, and another for everybody else?”

Jeremy Browne responded: “There certainly isn’t one law for the rich and famous and another for everybody else and if anyone is under that impression, they are labouring under a misapprehension.

“I share your concern about domestic violence conviction rates, we want to see them increase. Sometimes it is difficult to get a conviction in those circumstances for reasons which will be obvious.

“But domestic violence is an extremely serious crime and although we have seen crime rates fall, we haven’t seen a marked fall in domestic violence rates - but that is something we quite welcome because it may actually suggest a higher reporting of domestic violence than previously existed.”

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Saatchi accepted a police caution for assault on Monday after voluntarily attending Charing Cross police station after the Sunday People published photographs of him holding Lawson by the neck outside a Mayfair restaurant.

On Tuesday, he told London’s Evening Standard: “Although Nigella made no complaint, I volunteered to go to Charing Cross station and take a police caution after a discussion with my lawyer because I thought it was better than the alternative of this hanging over all of us for months.”

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police refused to name him, but said: “Officers from the community safety unit at Westminster were aware of the Sunday People article which was published on Sunday June 16 and carried out an investigation.

“(On) Monday June 17, a 70-year-old man voluntarily attended a central London police station and accepted a caution for assault.”

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