Keir Starmer has called on the Tories or 'criminal authorities' to investigate claims after a senior Conservative MP and a journalist accused Stanley Johnson, the Prime Minister's father, of inappropriately touching them at party conferences.
The Labour leader urged a police probe into allegations that the elder Johnson inappropriately touched former minister Caroline Nokes, 49, and told her she had a 'lovely seat' at the Tory Party conference in Blackpool in 2003. Political journalist Alibhe Rea added she was 'groped' by the former MEP at another Tory Party conference in 2019.
Mr Johnson, 81, has so far declined to comment other than to say he has 'no recollection of Caroline Nokes at all', while the Conservative Party is yet to say whether an investigation will be launched. Meanwhile, Downing Street and Boris Johnson's official spokesman declined to comment on the allegations against the 'private individual'.
He was heard saying 'no, no, no, no' and waving his hand when approached by a Sky News reporter outside his £2.5m home in London on Tuesday.
But Sir Keir, an ex-barrister, said the severity of the allegations against Mr Johnson were 'serious' and needed to 'be fully investigated'.
He added: 'I don’t think at this stage it’s for me to say what should happen as a result. But it takes guts and bravery to come forward to make allegations like this.
'They now need to be fully investigated - either by the Conservative Party, or by the criminal authorities. Those allegations having been made, there now needs to be an investigation into them.'
Ms Nokes, chair of the Commons Women and Equalities Committee, suggested the Prime Minister's father inappropriately touched her during the 2003 conference in Blackpool.
At the time, she was preparing for the campaign to represent the Hampshire constituency of Romsey during the 2005 election, during which Mr Johnson stood in Teignbridge, in Devon.
'I can remember a really prominent man smacking me on the backside about as hard as he could and going, 'Oh, Romsey, you've got a lovely seat',' Ms Nokes told Sky News.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged a police probe into allegations that the elder Johnson inappropriately touched former minister Caroline Nokes, 49, and told her she had a 'lovely seat' at the Tory Party conference in Blackpool in 2003
A senior Tory MP accused Stanley Johnson, the Prime Minister's father, of inappropriately touching her. Responding to the allegation, he said: 'I have no recollection of Caroline Nokes at all – but there you go. And no reply... good luck and thanks'
Senior Conservative MP Caroline Nokes (left), 49, and New Statesman journalist Ailbhe Rea (right) have both accused Stanley Johnson of inappropriately touching them
'Stanley Johnson did that to me ahead of the '05 election, so it was Blackpool... 2003/4,' she added.
'I didn't do anything and I feel ashamed by that ... now I probably would.'
On Tuesday afternoon, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer praised Ms Nokes' 'bravery' for speaking out, and called for an investigation.
His comments came after Downing Street insisted that the PM's father is a 'private' individual and refused to comment on Ms Nokes's allegations.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'I haven't spoken to the PM about this. I think I can point you to what Damian Hinds said this morning about the importance of women and girls being free from harassment and the action the Government has taken on that.
'This is effectively about a private individual. I am not going to be drawn, again, into specific allegations against a private individual. Of course, we would want anyone in any circumstance who feels they have been a victim of any kind of harassment to be free to come forward and report it to the appropriate authorities.'
Mrs Nokes, the chairman of the Women and Equalities committee, was at the time of the alleged incident a prospective parliamentary candidate for Romsey and Southampton North, and made the allegation during a panel discussion on Sky News.
She said: 'I can remember a really prominent man - at the time the Conservative candidate for Teignbridge in Devon – smacking me on the backside about as hard as he could and going, 'oh, Romsey, you've got a lovely seat''.
Mrs Nokes then said the candidate was Mr Johnson Sr, 81, who later failed to get elected. She added: 'I would have been in my early 30s, so old enough to call it out. I now regard it as a duty... to call out wherever you see it.'
Responding to the allegation, Mr Johnson Sr said: 'I have no recollection of Caroline Nokes at all – but there you go. And no reply... good luck and thanks.'
Ms Rea then claimed in a tweet: 'Stanley Johnson also groped me at a party at Conservative conference in 2019.
'I am grateful to Caroline Nokes for calling out something that none of us should have to put up with, not least from the Prime Minister's father.'
Ms Rea, who is aged in her mid-20s and grew up Belfast, graduated from Oxford University in 2017 and has worked for the New Statesman as a political correspondent since July 2019.
Today, Home Office minister Damian Hinds said an investigation will be carried out into the allegations 'if that's the appropriate course of action'. And shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds told Sky News: 'Any victim who comes forward we have to treat what they say very sensitively, very carefully.'
Sir Keir said on Tuesday afternoon: 'The allegations are
