BBC Newsnight tonight Southwark councillor allegations

Anyone know anything about the allegations of a southwark councillor,dating back to 2008 quoted by Emily Maitlis in her interview with Simon Hughes on BBC newsnight tonight??

It's on the front page of today's Telegraph. They are reporting that Helen Jardine-Brown, former councilor in South Bermondsey ward in Simon Hughes' constituency, made allegations about Lord Rennard. Simon Hughes emphatically denied knowing anything about it (it's not clear to me whether the allegations were made when he was party president, and hence should at least have been told you would have thought, or not).

Interesting. The Daily Mail is reporting today that

daily mail wrote:

t is believed Miss Jardine-Brown raised concerns about Lord Rennard’s behaviour in September 2008, during an interview with senior officials at the party. Less than eight weeks later, after informing her employer she was pregnant, she was told her role was to be cut.

Whilst one should be cautious in my opinion about speculation in the press, it would be interesting to know who was responsible for cutting the role, when was the idea mooted, what was the rationale for doing so and where was the line of reporting/accountability for the decision.
I understand that Simon Hughes was party president until the end of 2008 and presumably he will be contributing to the various investigations going on.

All very tawdry. Also, if you worked for, and were an elected representative of a party and you went to its leader to complain about sexual harassment and he ignored you and then another post that you held suddenly becomes 'redundant'..... would you still carry on representing that party for another two years (before your electorate chuck you out anyway)?

I don't think many politicos have a clue how their behaviour, and total immersion in some concept of 'the party' (or the kick of clinging on to power) at all costs, even if one loses some dignity along the way, is viewed with such contempt by joe public. Seems to me the party president was out of the loop big time, clearly a symbolic post.

I don't think that on this occasion there was an ignominious chucking out by the electorate.,... on this SE1 website at the time Cllr Nick Stanton was reported as saying

Cllr Nick Stanton wrote:

He said that Cllr Helen Jardine-Brown of South Bermondsey is "quite rightly stepping down to spend more time with her family" after four years on the council.

I do think that its a legitimate position for elected representatives to believe that they can change a political party from within... but I guess, its a question of how long they are prepared to give to the effort!
Not sure about the role of the party president. It seems to me that there is usually a contribution to the culture of the organisation somewhere.

londonbridge69 wrote:

Interesting. The Daily Mail is reporting today that

daily mail wrote:

t is believed Miss Jardine-Brown raised concerns about Lord Rennard’s behaviour in September 2008, during an interview with senior officials at the party. Less than eight weeks later, after informing her employer she was pregnant, she was told her role was to be cut.

Whilst one should be cautious in my opinion about speculation in the press, it would be interesting to know who was responsible for cutting the role, when was the idea mooted, what was the rationale for doing so and where was the line of reporting/accountability for the decision.


I understand that Simon Hughes was party president until the end of 2008 and presumably he will be contributing to the various investigations going on.

I stand corrected. Apologies. Personally, I would not have stuck it out another two years if my boss, or leadership, had been so seemingly oblivious to resolving such a matter, aswell as also treating me so seemingly appallingly as an employee. If that was the case.

But yes, the fourth estate isn't the best guide in such lessons in morality, taste and decency. They are loving their revenge for Leveson and being able to sling mud at the Beeb, those in power et al with these pernicious harassment stories

Not at all.. I do however agree with you in disliking the brazen self interest that some politicos display with armadillo like indifference.