Labour MP reports colleague to police over alleged sexual assault

It is understood that the female MP contacted the Metropolitan Police in recent weeks to make the allegation, but does not want it to be pursued further at this time.

She has also spoken to Labour whips about the incident allegedly involving one of the party’s MPs.

The incident, first reported by the Tortoise news website, is alleged to have happened after a summer party in London in July 2021.

Neither MP has been named for legal reasons.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: “In March 2023, police received a report that a woman was sexually assaulted by a man in London in July 2021.

“At the victim’s request the incident will not now be investigated at this time.”

A Labour Party spokesman said: “We take any allegations of this sort very seriously and would always encourage individuals to go to the parliamentary process, the Labour Party process or the police.

“In terms of the Labour Party process, it is a thorough, robust and independent process that individuals can have confidence in.”

It comes after a shadow minister said no Labour employee should be allowed to keep their job following reports a senior aide still works for the party despite a sexual harassment complaint being upheld.

Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said he was upset to read reports about a former Labour intern allegedly being “groped” by a staff member who was said to be 20 years older than her.

Mr Reynolds told Times Radio: “I don’t think anyone who behaves that way should continue in employment in any circumstance.”

According to the news website Politico, two separate investigations — one conducted via an internal parliamentary process and another by an independent party probe — upheld the sexual harassment allegation, but the man has remained in his role.