Harassment-claim peer threatens legal action

The peer’s legal adviser, Lord Carlile, said the former chief executive of the Liberal Democrats was being “lined up against a wall” and said he should not apologise given no claims of sexual harassment against him had been proven.

He criticised Mr Clegg, the party’s leader, for rescinding a decision to allow Lord Rennard to re-take the whip in the Lords following the publication of a report into accusations from four women activists.

In a further development, Alistair Webster QC, who investigated the allegations, said he had recommended that Lord Rennard should apologise to the women involved as a matter of “common manners”.

But Lord Carlile said: “Of course we are wholly against sexual harassment but the fact is Lord Rennard has consistently denied touching women in the sexually inappropriate way that has been alleged, the inquiry by the police after seven months decided there was no case even to send to the CPS and the police thereafter had the good sense to keep quiet about it.

“Alistair Webster’s report found there was an insufficient case on either the criminal or civil burden of standard of proof for the case to go forward to a panel.

“Here, we have a situation in which there has been found to be no case against Lord Rennard but he is being lined up against the wall by people who are trying to force him to apologise in a way no lawyer would advise and in which he should not apologise for all kinds of reasons.

“I was present when Lord Rennard told the Liberal Democrat chief whip in the Lords, Lord Newby, last Wednesday that he was returning to the whip. I was present when it was accepted, they shook hands and that was understood. Three or four days later we have a press release from the leader of the party suggesting some kind of completely arbitrary procedure which the party’s rules don’t provide for.

“If he has the whip removed from him in appropriate circumstances then I have absolutely no doubt that Lord Rennard will be taking formal legal advice and the matter could unfortunately end up in the public law courts – but nobody wants that to happen and I don’t begin to understand why Nick Clegg has intervened after a process which has been concluded in Lord Rennard’s favour.”

Mr Webster said he had not published his report because of clear legal advice regarding data protection laws and redacting the details would “deprive it of any sensible context”.

And he added: “The suggestion that Lord Rennard might wish to apologise was not one I envisaged as being contentious. I viewed Lord Rennard, from the weight of the evidence submitted, as being someone who would wish to apologise to those whom he had made to feel uncomfortable, even if he had done so inadvertently. I would consider it to be common manners.”

Mr Webster said evidence from independent statements had helped him to a conclusion “there was credible evidence that events had occurred which had caused distress”.

It has emerged Lord Rennard, 53, considered offering a general apology to the women for any upset he had caused before he was made aware of the specific allegations which have caused a deep rift in the party.

In a comment made on Facebook, the peer said he would not apologise now because it was not justified and there was the possibility of legal action.