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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jan/25/mps-call-for-police-investigation-into-presidents-club-scandal
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| MPs call for police investigation into Presidents Club scandal | MPs call for police investigation into Presidents Club scandal |
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| Letter asks Scotland Yard to investigate whether sexual harassment and pimping occurred at men-only event | Letter asks Scotland Yard to investigate whether sexual harassment and pimping occurred at men-only event |
| Rob Davies | Rob Davies |
| Thu 25 Jan 2018 17.02 GMT | Thu 25 Jan 2018 17.02 GMT |
| Last modified on Thu 25 Jan 2018 17.41 GMT | |
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| MPs are to ask police to investigate whether crimes were committed at the men-only Presidents Club dinner, attended by billionaires, politicians and businessmen, at which hired hostesses were allegedly groped and sexually harassed. | MPs are to ask police to investigate whether crimes were committed at the men-only Presidents Club dinner, attended by billionaires, politicians and businessmen, at which hired hostesses were allegedly groped and sexually harassed. |
| At least three MPs are writing to the Metropolitan police following reports that women believed to be sex workers were present at an after-party attended by some of the guests. | At least three MPs are writing to the Metropolitan police following reports that women believed to be sex workers were present at an after-party attended by some of the guests. |
| Calls for a police investigation came after an ITV interview with a hostess, who said she was “100% sure” that sex workers were present later in the evening, as guests moved to another room in the exclusive Dorchester hotel after dinner. | Calls for a police investigation came after an ITV interview with a hostess, who said she was “100% sure” that sex workers were present later in the evening, as guests moved to another room in the exclusive Dorchester hotel after dinner. |
| In a letter to the Metropolitan police commissioner, Cressida Dick, the Liberal Democrat leader, Vince Cable, and the party’s deputy leader, Jo Swinson, asked if Scotland Yard would open a criminal investigation. | |
| “We would be grateful if you can now confirm that the Metropolitan police will investigate the criminal nature of allegations made against individuals involved,” they wrote. | |
| “In particular, offences of harassment and pimping appear to have taken place. Women must be able to have confidence that perpetrators of sexual harassment, abuse and assault will be brought to book. | |
| “It is fundamental to that confidence that all such allegations are taken seriously and investigated immediately. There can be no place in today’s Britain for the behaviour reported, nor for ‘secret societies’ behind which individual perpetrators can hide.” | “It is fundamental to that confidence that all such allegations are taken seriously and investigated immediately. There can be no place in today’s Britain for the behaviour reported, nor for ‘secret societies’ behind which individual perpetrators can hide.” |
| Jess Phillips, chair of the women’s parliamentary Labour party, is also understood to have contacted the Metropolitan police, while fellow Labour MP Yvette Cooper called for multiple parallel investigations into potential law breaches. | Jess Phillips, chair of the women’s parliamentary Labour party, is also understood to have contacted the Metropolitan police, while fellow Labour MP Yvette Cooper called for multiple parallel investigations into potential law breaches. |
| “Laws exist to prevent this kind of harassment and misogynistic abuse. | “Laws exist to prevent this kind of harassment and misogynistic abuse. |
| “The Charity Commission is rightly investigating the Presidents Club. But the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) should also be investigating both the agency involved as well as the Presidents Club. | “The Charity Commission is rightly investigating the Presidents Club. But the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) should also be investigating both the agency involved as well as the Presidents Club. |
| “Frankly for the EHRC just to send a couple of letters isn’t enough. They should be actively investigating this in order to challenge the harassment and exploitation that the undercover investigation has exposed. | “Frankly for the EHRC just to send a couple of letters isn’t enough. They should be actively investigating this in order to challenge the harassment and exploitation that the undercover investigation has exposed. |
| “And if they find evidence of criminal wrongdoing, harassment or exploitation they should refer that directly to the police too.” | “And if they find evidence of criminal wrongdoing, harassment or exploitation they should refer that directly to the police too.” |
| Cooper also echoed comments from the women and equalities select committee chair, Maria Miller, who has suggested the Equality Act should be made tougher. | |
| “Equality laws were weakened five years ago when section 40 of the Equality Act was repealed – watering down the protection for women against harassment at work. Those laws should be strengthened again. | “Equality laws were weakened five years ago when section 40 of the Equality Act was repealed – watering down the protection for women against harassment at work. Those laws should be strengthened again. |
| “The EHRC needs to be strong enough and resourced enough to investigate too if this outrageous behaviour is to be challenged.” | “The EHRC needs to be strong enough and resourced enough to investigate too if this outrageous behaviour is to be challenged.” |
| In an interview on ITV’s Good Morning programme, one woman who worked as a “hostess” at the Presidents Club dinner described the conditions endured by staff. | In an interview on ITV’s Good Morning programme, one woman who worked as a “hostess” at the Presidents Club dinner described the conditions endured by staff. |
| “The organisers were quite pushy and scary. If you were seen not talking to a man you would be pushed towards a man and [they would] say, ‘Look at that man over there, he looks lonely, go and talk to him, you’re being paid to do a job.’” | |
| “A lot of hands were up skirts, I saw a lot of grabbing,” she said. | “A lot of hands were up skirts, I saw a lot of grabbing,” she said. |
| “There were also separate women who came in to the after-party who were wearing red dresses. They were kissing men, quite provocative body language and behaviour towards the men.” | |
| The Presidents Club said on Wednesday it would close down and distribute its remaining funds in the light of the revelations. | The Presidents Club said on Wednesday it would close down and distribute its remaining funds in the light of the revelations. |
| Presidents Club scandal | Presidents Club scandal |
| Sexual harassment | Sexual harassment |
| Vince Cable | Vince Cable |
| Metropolitan police | Metropolitan police |
| London | |
| Police | |
| news | news |
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