Lib Dems accused over sex claims

Portsmouth South MP Mike Hancock has been suspended from the party following the leak of an unpublished report into his conduct, which found “compelling” evidence of “serious and unwelcome sexual behaviour” towards the woman who suffered a mental health disorder and had been sexually abused as a child.

However, the woman’s solicitor, Harriet Wistrich, said that it had taken the Lib Dem leadership three years finally to take action after the complaints about his conduct first came to light.

The latest row is a further blow to Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg as he struggles to contain the fallout from the case of Lord Rennard, the party’s former elections supremo, who is alleged to have sexually harassed a number of women activists – a claim he denies.

Although Mr Hancock – who denies the allegations against him – voluntarily resigned the parliamentary whip last year while he contests a High Court civil action claiming sexual impropriety, he continued to sit as a Lib Dem on Portsmouth City Council.

Ms Wistrich said that repeated attempts to get the Lib Dems to take action over her client’s allegations had come to nothing.

She disclosed in February last year she had received a letter from the office of the Lib Dem chief executive informing her the party “would not commence any investigation or take any other action in respect of the matter”.

After a Hampshire police investigation concluded there was no case to answer, Portsmouth City Council launched an inquiry into whether Mr Hancock had breached the council’s code of conduct, but that has now been put on hold pending the outcome of the civil court action.

“There seems to be a pattern here of Lib Dems not dealing with the matter,” Ms Wistrich said.

“I think that the Lib Dems have very belatedly suspended him from party membership, the council have been appalling in not taking action earlier. He still is a councillor, they could proceed now with the allegations that he has breached their council code of conduct.”

Local Lib Dems in Portsmouth have continued to voice support for Mr Hancock, accusing the party leadership of suspending him without due process.

“We believe in proper and due process and that as there is an ongoing court case, it is the court that should rule first, having considered all the evidence, not the media or internal panels,” said Simon Dodd, the chairman of the Portsmouth Lib Dems. “Mike Hancock has loyally represented the people of Portsmouth for over 40 years and he will continue to serve as an excellent constituency MP and as a councillor.”

The latest crisis was sparked by the leak of a report drawn up for the council by Nigel Pascoe QC as part of its code of conduct inquiry.

In it, he said that he had no doubt the complainant had provided “compelling prima facie evidence of serious and unwelcome sexual behaviour” by Mr Hancock. He also said that the case “should have been addressed definitively a long time ago”.

The woman has criticised local Liberal Democrats for failing to take action against Mr Hancock.

She told The Portsmouth News: “The Liberal Democrats could have done something about it ages ago. I have been let down by all the authorities.”

A man was arrested for allegedly assaulting a photographer outside the home of Mr Hancock yesterday. The altercation came as the MP’s son Dean Hancock left the house with Mr Hancock’s wife Jacqui. Hampshire police said a 37-year-old man was detained.