Harvey Weinstein faces being stripped of his CBE over sex assault allegations, No 10 suggests
2 min read
Harvey Weinstein faces being stripped of his honorary CBE after Theresa May broke her silence over the "deeply concerning" sex assault allegations against him.
The Prime Minister's spokesman also praised the "courage" of the women who have come forward to accuse the Holywood mogul of abuse.
Mr Weinstein was fired from the board of his own film company over the allegations of inappropriate behaviour - including rape - made by several woman.
Labour MPs, including Jess Phillips and Dawn Butler, have already written a letter to the Prime Minister demanding he be stripped of his gong, which he was awarded for his contribution to the UK film industry.
Mrs May's spokesman said: "The reports over recent days are deeply concerning. Any unwanted sexual activity is completely unacceptable and any allegations should be fully investigated.
"Anyone who comes forward to report these kinds of allegations should be praised for their courage.
"The independent Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases where the honours system is brought into disrepute. Their discussions are confidential."
The spokesman refused to be drawn on whether the Prime Minister believed the committee should investigate Mr Weinstein, but he added: "Coming forward to report crimes is always difficult.
"It's right that people are encouraged to do so and to feel that they have faith in the system."
In their letter to Mrs May, the Labour MPs said: "These actions are unacceptable and intolerable. They were unacceptable in the 1960s, they are unacceptable now and they may well be criminal under US and UK law.
"These revelations prove that Mr Weinstein has fallen far short of the standards we expect from recipients of a CBE.
"His continued membership runs the risk of bringing the honours system into disrepute and, moreover, sending the deeply troubling signal that our Government does not take women's voices or allegations of sexual harassment seriously.
"We are therefore calling upon your government to act urgently and strip Mr Weinstein of his honorary CBE."
In a statement last week, Mr Weinstein said: "I appreciate the way I've behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologise for it."
However, he denies the rape allegations.
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