Downing Street lobby briefing on: sexual harassment and Paradise Papers
2 min read
Here is a summary of this morning briefing for lobby journalists by the Prime Minister's official spokesman.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
The Prime Minister is “confident” that allegations of sexual and harassment and abuse have been properly dealt with, the spokesman said.
He said the Prime Minister was satisfied that the newly-appointed Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson, had not sat on allegations against Tory MPs in his previous role as Chief Whip.
"In relation to the operation of the Whips’ Office, while she has been Prime Minister, she is confident that it has behaved in the proper way," he said. "Where allegations were made and could be acted upon that’s what happened."
Referring to Cabinet Office investigations into accusations of improper behaviour made against First Secretary of State Damian Green and International Trade Minister Mark Garnier, the spokesman said both were “progressing,” but there was no set timetable for them to reach completion.
Mrs May has invited all Westminster party leaders to a meeting in Parliament this evening to discuss how to deal with the deluge of harassment allegations that have emerged over recent days.
According to the spokesman, the meeting will cover how to create a new system to deal with future allegations and abuse including the potential "centralisation of employment functions".
He said Mrs May would seek to depoliticise the process as “there is only so much you can do at a party level.”
"She wants consistency and she wants a system that runs across Parliament that people can have confidence in. We want a Parliament-wide solution," he said.
PARADISE PAPERS
Turning to the so-called ‘Paradise Papers,’ which revealed how the super-rich invest vast sums in offshore tax havens, the spokesman said Mrs May “wants to people to pay tax that is due".
He added: "Holding investments offshore is not an automatic sign of wrongdoing."
Asked if the Prime Minister held any offshore investments herself, he replied: "She has no direct offshore investments."
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