Labour MP quits front bench over interfering in sexual harassment case
- Published
Kate Hollern stepped down from her role as shadow minister for local government on Wednesday
A Labour shadow minister has resigned her post after claims she tried to interfere in a sexual harassment case.
Kate Hollern has been accused of trying to "scare" away Tory MP Andrew Bridgen from helping the complainant.
Former Labour MP Mike Hill denies allegations of sexually harassing and bullying a female parliamentary worker.
At a tribunal into the case, Mr Bridgen said Ms Hollern told him there were rumours he was having an affair with the woman.
He claimed she added: "If I were you I would keep away from her, because you have a wife and baby and you would not want to lose them if it got in the papers."
A Labour spokesman confirmed Ms Hollern had resigned as the shadow minister for local government.
In a statement, she apologised for her "error in judgement", saying it was "never my intention to undermine the support the complainant was receiving, which I was unaware of at the time".
In response, Mr Bridgen said Ms Hollern "really should have apologised to the victim".
Allegations
The Central London Employment Tribunal is currently hearing evidence into accusations made by a woman known only as Ms A against Mr Hill - who was the MP for Hartlepool.
She has accused him of carrying out a campaign of sexual harassment and bullying against her over a 16-month period while he was in office.
The 58-year-old resigned as an MP in March - sparking last week's by-election in the seat - but he has denied the allegations.
Former Labour MP Mike Hill has denied allegations of sexual harassment and bullying
During Wednesday's hearing, Mr Bridgen - the MP for North West Leicestershire - said Ms A had confided in him, telling him she was allegedly being "sexually harassed and sexually assaulted".
In written evidence also submitted to the tribunal, he said he had advised Ms A to seek legal advice and that he approached the Leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, to ask for advice too.
But later, he said Ms Hollern - the MP for Blackburn - had approached him while he sat on a terrace outside Parliament.
In his statement, Mr Bridgen wrote: "Kate Hollern MP said 'everyone is saying in the Labour Party that you are having an affair with [Ms A] and if I were you I would keep away from her, because you have a wife and baby and you would not want to lose them if it got in the papers.'
"I told Kate Hollern MP 'this is rubbish.' In truth I was shocked, as Ms A is only a friend who asked me for some help and I regarded Kate Hollern MP's remarks as malicious and designed to scare me away from offering Ms A any help or support."
Asked about it at Wednesday's hearing, Mr Bridgen said he believed she made the comments ""to isolate the applicant [Ms A] from any help and support", which he thought was "pretty appalling".
He added: "It was quite malicious and I don't respond well to intimidation like that I can assure you."
The tribunal also saw written evidence from Ms A that she had been approached by Ms Hollern at a later date, and Ms A confided in the Labour MP.
Ms A said the MP advised her to go on sick leave, adding: "Ms Hollern advised me to save as much money as possible and in terms of the sexual harassment she said that many people in Parliament had put in complaints in the past of sexual harassment and nothing was ever done about it, which deterred me from seeking any further advice on this at that time."
Andrew Bridgen told a tribunal Ms A had confided in him about the allegations
Ms Hollern put out a statement on Wednesday in response to the allegations made at the tribunal.
She said: "I am absolutely clear that any complaint of sexual harassment should be treated extremely seriously and had this been raised with me I would have taken the necessary action.
"It was never my intention to undermine the support the complainant was receiving, which I was unaware of at the time.
"If that is what Mr Bridgen was led to believe, I apologise for my error in judgement in having the conversation."
Asked for a response to the apology on Wednesday, Mr Bridgen said: "Kate Hollern resigned at 18:30 today and issued an apology to me through the Guardian newspaper.
"Ms Hollern really should have apologised to the victim Ms A."
The tribunal continues.