THE former councillor who claims she was sexually assaulted by a senior Scottish Labour MP has made a complaint to the party.
Carol Hughes contacted Labour about an incident she said took place in a restaurant while the MP’s wife sat across the table. He is no longer an MP.
However, Labour last night declined to say whether it is investigating the complaint, or whether the individual at the centre of the allegations has been suspended.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The party takes all complaints of sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination extremely seriously. When evidence of misconduct comes to light, all appropriate disciplinary action is taken in line with the party’s rule book and procedures."
A party source said that “sensitive information” relating to complaints is dealt with in the strictest confidence and it would “not be appropriate” to share details relating to cases.
Hughes, 60, was a three-term Labour councillor in South Lanarkshire between 1995 and 2007 before standing down.
As well as being an active councillor, she also campaigned for the party across Scotland and attended UK and Scottish Labour conferences.
In an interview with the Sunday Herald last week, she said that as a councillor she found herself next to a senior party figure at an event in an Indian restaurant.
“I happened to be sitting next to him," she said, "and then the next thing, his hand was right inside my dress and up my thigh. He was caressing my thigh.”
She said the assault lasted for around five minutes. The man she accuses of sexual assault is a Scot and has been a Labour MP.
The Sunday Herald knows the identity of the ex-MP but cannot identify him for legal reasons.
Hughes also said in the interview: “People might say ‘why did you sit there and let that happen? Why didn’t you do anything in that situation?’ I was shocked, I suppose.
“The things that go through your mind. You don’t want to cause a fuss. You don’t want to cause a scene.”
She added: “If you are already sort of half-way in the frame of mind that you are getting manipulated and you are only in the place because of the men, you are half way there to just being acquiescent to things like that. I’ve got problems with confidence and part of that is not being able to stand up for myself.”
It is understood Hughes formally complained to the party last week and is believed to have provided Labour with more detail on the alleged assault.
It emerged last week that Labour MP Ivan Lewis had been suspended over accusations of sexual harassment.
A spokesperson for Labour said at the time: “The Labour party takes all allegations of sexual harassment extremely seriously. Ivan Lewis is currently suspended from the Labour party pending an investigation.”
Another MP, Kelvin Hopkins, was also suspended recently after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him.
In a statement released at the time, the party said: “On the basis of allegations received by the Labour party today, Kelvin Hopkins has been suspended from party membership, and therefore the Labour whip, while an investigation takes place.”
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