LABOUR shadow minister Kate Hollern issued vile threats against a Tory MP’s family in an attempt to protect a Labour colleague accused of sexual Harassment.
The shocking incident relates to the investigation into Mr Hill, the former Labour MP for Hartlepool who resigned in September 2019 over allegations he had made unwanted advances to a woman who worked in the Commons.
Hill’s victim alleges that over a 16-month period, Hill carried out a campaign of sexual harassment and bullying against her, with the allegations believed to be the reason for the MP’s resignation.
At a tribunal into the case, MP Andrew Bridgen said Labour frontbencher Kate Hollern tried to scare him away from helping the victim, by threatening him with going to the press about unfounded rumours that he was engaged in an extramarital affair.
Bridgen confirmed that the vile MP 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, Hollern gave a weak apology, blaming the threat on an “error in judgement”, and 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”.
In his statement, 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.”
