Oliver Dowden denies cover-up over claim Tory MP is 'serial rapist'

The deputy PM insisted the party had “zero tolerance for sexual misconduct” and urged anyone with accusations of criminality to go straight to the police.

The Mail on Sunday cited a letter written to the police by Sir Jake Berry, who was briefly Tory chairman after Mr Dowden, last year.

According to the paper, Mr Berry discovered the party had paid for one of the alleged victims of the MP to receive treatment at a private hospital.

The letter, written jointly with former chief whip Wendy Morton and a Downing Street official, also alleged the party had failed to act against the MP for two years.

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It said a Downing Street official had “ascertained that there may have been five victims of [the MP] who have been subject to a range of offences including multiple rapes.

“We believe there are up to five victims of [the MP]  and that the failure of others to act has enabled [him] to continue to offend and to victimise women.

“This is not something we are prepared to see continue and collectively we have therefore raised the issue with both you [the police] and the Speakers Office in the House of Commons seeking an immediate Police investigation.”

Mr Dowden, the MP for Hertsmere, was Tory party chair from September 2021 to June 2022 under Boris Johnson before being succeeded by Andrew Stephenson.

Mr Stephenson spent just two months in the post before being succeeded by Mr Berry, was chair from 6 September to 25 October last year.

Former Tory party chair Sir Jake Berry (Image: PA)

The Mail on Sunday reported that once Mr Berry became chair he learned of the claims against the MP, and that he and Ms Morton asked a Downing Street adviser and a senior MP to investigate the allegations in-house. 

The paper said the resulting internal report warned the party’s mishandling of the case meant it would be “severely at risk of prosecution” if the matter ended up in court.

It added: “We as a party are still at risk of this being exposed to the press. If that does happen soon, then we will have to deal with whatever the outcome is of such action.”

The report said there had been two separate rape complaints against the MP.

One woman alleged she had been ‘date-raped’ at the Tory party conference but chose not to go to the police, and a ‘vulnerable’ woman who also chose not to go the police.

The report said the second woman’s mental health deteriorated “and as a result, the party lawyers organised [for] the victim to have treatment and also the party to pay the treatment” and for a monitoring system to be installed in her home in case the MP visited her.

The paper said the alleged victim had reported the MP calling on her and raping her again, and that she had “huge amounts of bruising” around the time concerned.

Mr Berry and the others behind the letter lost their jobs when Liz Truss left No10 and alerted the police because of their concerns, according to the paper.

Appearing on BBC One with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Dowden was reminded he was Tory party chair when it is alleged the party knew of the claims against the MP and didn’t act.

“Is that true?” he was asked.

He replied: “Well, these are very, very serious allegations and I want to reassure you that Conservative party takes them exceptionally seriously. 

“It's very difficult for me to comment specifically on this for two reasons. 

“First of all, the individual isn't named and, secondly, it may be the case that there are criminal investigations ongoing.

“But what I can say to you is that every single allegation is taken exceptionally seriously.

“We had an independent investigation process into it and, indeed, if anyone has concerns, they should be taken to the police and I would urge people to take them to the police.”

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Asked again “Is this true, what happened?”, Mr Dowden said: “Well, I simply can't say because I don't know who the individual concerned is.

“What I can say to you is that when I was chairman of the Conservative Party, every allegation was taken very seriously and indeed was independent of me, because we had an independent complaints procedure. I think that's the right way to address these things.”

Asked if there needed to be another investigation if the story as there was a suggestions the Conservative party had “somehow covered this up”, Mr Dowden said: “I don't recognise in any form the idea that we covered up, and I can assure you, categorically, it was not the case that when I was chairman of the Conservative Party, I covered up any allegations.” 

He went on: “Without knowing the name of the person, it's very difficult for me to be able to give you further information in respect of an unnamed individual.”