Michael Fallon admits touching journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer’s knee until she threatened to punch him

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon admitted to the incident 15 years ago
PA
Tom Powell31 October 2017
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Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has apologised for repeatedly touching a female journalist’s knee until she threatened to “punch him in the face”.

Mr Fallon, a member of Theresa May’s cabinet, was revealed as the minister involved in the incident with Julia Hartley-Brewer at the Conservative party conference in 2002.

He admitted he was the MP responsible for the incident to the Sun newspaper after Ms Hartley-Brewer, a host on talkRADIO, previously refused to name the man involved.

It comes after a series of sexual harassment allegations involving MPs sparked a scandal that has rocked Westminster.

A spokesman for Sir Michael said: "He had apologised when the incident happened 15 years ago and both Julia and he now considered the matter closed."

A friend of the minister added: "Julia's a good friend of Michael's. He overstepped the mark when he put his hand on her knee.

"She made it clear it was unwelcome and he rightly apologised 15 years ago."

Ms Hartley-Brewer released a statement on the incident in which she said she had “no issues” with the minister and condemned what she described as a “Westminster witch hunt”.

She said: "I have spoken previously about a Cabinet Minister who repeatedly put his hand on my knee during a party conference dinner.

"I calmly and politely explained to him that if he did it again I would 'punch him in the face'.

"He withdrew his hand and that was the end of the matter.

"I have had no issues since with the man in question and do not regard the incident as anything but mildly amusing."

She later added: "This "incident" happened in 2002. No one was remotely upset or distressed by it. My knees remain intact."

The revelation came as Parliamentary authorities are drawing up plans to allow victims of sexual harassment to report incidents "without fear", with abuse allegations continuing to dominate Westminster.

Commons Speaker John Bercow met with senior parliamentary figures on the House of Commons Commission to plot a way forward as fresh claims of sexually intimidating behaviour emerged.

In the latest of a slew of allegations about MPs' misconduct, the Daily Telegraph reported that a minister's "inappropriate" actions forced two female staff members to move to other jobs.

A spokesman for Commons Speaker John Bercow, who chaired the Commission meeting, said: "The Commission discussed the recent allegations relating to the harassment of staff, following today's exchanges in the House of Commons.

"It recognised that the current processes for dealing with this required review and a more thorough understanding of how they are put into practice by political parties.

"The Commission therefore committed to urgent work, in concert with the key stakeholders, to identify a way forward which would command general confidence and enable people to speak up without fear or favour."

Earlier, Leader of the Commons, Andrea Leadsom, told MPs that ministers would be sacked for inappropriate behaviour, saying: "If people are made to feel uncomfortable, that is not correct.

"In terms of the consequences for the perpetrators, I think I've also been perfectly clear that in the case of staff they could forfeit their jobs, in the case of Members of Parliament they could have the whip withdrawn and they could be fired from ministerial office."

In a statement to MPs, Mr Bercow called for change in Parliament amid what he described as "disturbing" allegations about a "culture of sexual harassment".

Mrs Leadsom is pressing the case for the establishment of a new external, specially trained support team to offer confidential advice and support to anyone suffering from sexual harassment at Westminster.

The move came as a Cabinet Office investigation got under way into alleged misconduct by international trade minister Mark Garnier, who is reported to have asked his Commons secretary to buy sex toys and called her "sugar tits".

Mrs May's official spokesman earlier declined to confirm that the Prime Minister has full confidence in Mr Garnier, saying he did not want to pre-empt the outcome of the inquiry.

The Wyre Forest MP has insisted that the incidents did not amount to harassment, describing the purchase of the vibrators as an instance of "high jinks".

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