Yahoo – AFP,
November 5, 2017
London (AFP) - British interior minister Amber Rudd declared Sunday that a scandal over sexual harassment rocking the country's political circles was a "watershed moment" that was "clearing out" inappropriate behaviour.
Michael Fallon quit as Britain's defence secretary this week over allegations of misconduct (AFP Photo/Tolga AKMEN) |
London (AFP) - British interior minister Amber Rudd declared Sunday that a scandal over sexual harassment rocking the country's political circles was a "watershed moment" that was "clearing out" inappropriate behaviour.
She denied
that Prime Minister Theresa May's minority government was at risk, after
Michael Fallon quit as defence secretary earlier this week and as two other
ministers remain under investigation for misconduct.
Rudd told
BBC television that the end result of the claims was "clearing out
Westminster of that sort of behaviour".
"And I
think that Westminster afterwards, including the government, will be better for
it," she said.
Fallon
announced his resignation on Wednesday after apologising for touching a
journalist's knee in 2002.
Another
journalist alleged this weekend that Fallon had "lunged" at her after
a lunch in 2003. She said she reported the incident to Downing Street this
week, and he resigned hours later.
May's de
facto deputy Damian Green meanwhile is being investigated for his own alleged
inappropriate behaviour towards a journalist, which he strongly denies.
Rudd
confirmed that the probe had been widened to include a newspaper report on
Sunday that "extreme" pornographic material had been found on his
parliamentary computer in 2008.
Green, an
old university friend of May's, has strongly denied the story in the Sunday
Times and accused the police source behind it of trying to cause him political
damage.
"I
know that the Cabinet Office is going to be looking at this tomorrow along with
the wider inquiry about Damian, and I do think that we shouldn't rush to allege
anything until that inquiry has taken place," Rudd said.
The prime
minister is also due to meet with other party leaders on Monday to discuss a
new parliamentary complaints system in the wake of a wave of allegations, many
involving MPs and junior staff or journalists.
On Friday,
she announced a new code of conduct for her own Conservative party -- under
which three MPs were referred for investigation this weekend.
Another Conservative
MP was suspended on Friday, while the opposition Labour party has also
suspended one of its lawmakers.
A Scottish
minister resigned on Saturday after admitting his behaviour "might have
made others uncomfortable", while a Welsh minister was sacked Friday
following allegations about his personal conduct.
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