Wrong after wrong after wrong
By Emma.
Today there has been an apology in the continuing saga over the fallout of Lord Rennard being accused of sexually harassing several women.
Was the apology to the women for the way in which the Party left them exposed and unsupported? No.
Was it for the fact that some of those women have felt so unsupported within their own party they have had no choice but to leave? No.
Was it for the fact that despite the women being described by the late appointed over-seer of their discipline case as “credible” Rennard was let off through the byzantine loopholes built in to protect the powerful within their party? No.
No today’s apology was – incomprehensibly – to Lord Rennard himself.
Now admittedly, it is clear that the processes of the Lib Dems need a great deal of work to make them able to properly deal with the kind of behaviours we are talking about in this case. And it is not just the victims who suffer when such cases are so badly handled, but the accused too. Byzantine processes may have meant that Lord Rennard has been let off the hook, but they equally mean that he has been found guiltyish.
No one has been satisfied by this dogs dinner. But some people have been deeply, deeply hurt by it. Some women and their families have been forced from their party. Many others have been given the message that the establishment will circle their wagons around your abuser as long as he’s one of them. Once again the subtle message has rung out: Women in politics – know your place.
Reading the story in the Guardian, it is quite clear that Lord Rennard may soon be reinstated to the Liberal Democrats. The only outstanding charge is of bringing the Party into disrepute through “criticism of party processes”. The stampede for the door if that holds up will be enormous. Who of us – in any party – don’t occasionally criticise it’s processes?!
So it seems to me like Rennard will be back soon. And according to certain Parliamentarians this is a good thing. They have been expressing fears that the Party is suffering because of their lack of “campaigning expert” Rennard.
That they are willing to express this – even anonymously – show how far in denial the Lib Dems are about their standing with the electorate. Like all they really need is the right campaigning expert. It’s an astonishing lack of self knowledge about what their real problems are. How badly they have let down those they promised something so very different to. How little they are trusted and liked.
One campaigner is not going to make the difference. But being so blind as to the damage you have done to your female activists might well do. Once again the Lib Dems have proved themselves unworthy as a national party. Once again they have let women in their own party down. Once again the political establishment has protected their own at the expense of the less powerful. A less “liberal” or “democratic” state of play is hard to imagine.
Over the last few years I have been pretty open minded about the potential of a future coalition. Politically, I can see both sides of the argument. But how could we have a working realtionship with a Party so willing to throw their female activists under the bus. How can we leave our women in situations where they might not feel – or be – safe from harassment?
If Lord Rennard resumes his role in the Lib Dems it doesn’t just irrepreable taint them. It taints anyone who says “We’re ok enough with that to do business with him”. I cannot support Labour being that Party.
Tags: Lord Rennard
