Lord Rennard may return to key role with the Lib Dems
LORD Rennard could return to a key role within the Liberal Democrats, a Cabinet Minister has signalled, despite his refusal to apologise to women activists over claims that he was a ‘sex pest’.
The peer, who is a former chief executive of the party, is in mediation talks with women who accused him of making unwelcome advances.
Ed Davey, the Energy Secretary, said it was ‘not the case’ that Lord Rennard would not be welcomed back into the Lib Dem fold at the conclusion of the talks.
Senior party figures are now trying to draw a parallel between the peer’s case and that of former Commons deputy speaker Nigel Evans, who was last week cleared of sexual assault.
The claims against Lord Rennard – which he denied – were of a lesser nature and the case never reached the courts.
But an internal, QC-led inquiry for the party found he had ‘ violated the personal space’ of women. He was suspended after refusing to apologise to female party activists for his behaviour. Mr Davey told Sky’s Murnaghan show: ‘There are mediation discussions, but let’s remember that there are no criminal charges. But we did a detailed internal inquiry in order to show that we wanted to take it seriously.’
A Lib Dem spokesman also indicated that the peer could return to a frontline role.
He said: ‘Lord Rennard is suspended from the party pending disciplinary process.
‘ Disciplinary proceedings are suspended until the outcome of mediation which is ongoing. But theoretically, pending the outcome of that mediation, all sorts of possibilities are open.’