Rosena Allin-Khan: Labour deputy candidate reveals ‘horrific’ harassment as NHS doctor before becoming MP

PA
PA

Labour deputy leadership hopeful Rosena Allin-Khan has vowed to stamp out sexual harassment in the party as she revealed she had been victim of inappropriate behaviour as a junior doctor.

Ms Allin-Khan, who is still a practising A&E doctor, said she had endured harassment before becoming an MP, describing how the “horrific” experience made her “dread coming to work”.

The Tooting MP said she had felt her career would be over if she spoke out and it would be “absolutely unacceptable” for anyone to be placed in that position in the Labour Party.

In a pitch for the deputy job, Ms Allin-Khan also vowed that her first act if elected would be to meet the Jewish Labour Movement, to begin rebuilding trust after the long-running row over handling of complaints of antisemitism in Labour.

She called for an end to factionalism in the party, saying she did not care “whether someone was left, right or centre” while growing up in poverty.

In an interview with The Independent, Ms Allin-Khan said Labour needed to work hard to rebuild trust and to stamp out antisemitism and sexual harassment wherever it occurred.

Labour has suffered a rash of sexual harassment allegations over the past few years, with MPs Kelvin Hopkins, John Woodcock and Ivan Lewis all suspended over complaints which they denied and which were never resolved by disciplinary processes. Hartlepool MP Mike Hill was this week revealed to be facing sexual assault and harassment claims, which he denies, in an employment tribunal.

A new policy on dealing with sexual harassment allegations was adopted last year, following the publication of a #LabourToo dossier containing 43 anonymised stories of harassment within the party.

Asked about the party’s handling of sexual harassment complaints, Ms Allin-Khan said: “I do know what it’s like to face harassment like that in the workplace in my life – not in politics, in a previous work life – and it is horrific.

“You dread coming to work every day. It takes over your whole life and it takes somebody to believe you and believe in you to change it.

“And for me, it is absolutely unacceptable for anyone to feel that there is a space for that to happen to them within this workspace and within our movement.

“The moment I ever got wind of anything like that, I’d ensure there was a full investigation. No judgement placed on the person who was complaining.”

Ms Allin-Khan said she would ensure there was a safe way of reporting complaints, adding: “I think a big fear, and certainly what I felt when I experienced this as a junior doctor, is the feeling that if you speak out your whole career is over.

“We need to remove that concern from anyone.”

Ridding Labour of antisemitism is at the heart of Ms Allin-Khan’s campaign – she has signed up to a series of pledges by the Board of Deputies and creating her own manifesto.

“We cannot ever again have a door slammed in our face because somebody thinks that we’re a racist party,” she said. “We are supposed to be the antithesis of that.

“As deputy leader, I would take that so incredibly seriously and ensure that any single person exhibiting any form of discrimination is immediately expelled.”

Ms Allin-Khan, who was elected to parliament in 2016, was an unexpected entrant in contest, pitting her against more established shadow cabinet members such as the frontrunner Angela Rayner, Dawn Butler and Richard Burgon. Ian Murray, the party’s only Scottish MP, is also standing.

The shadow sports minister admitted she was the least well-known candidate, but was still brimming with optimism and enthusiasm about the campaign. I don’t believe in the word impossible,” she said.

She said: “An A&E waiting rooms is like a microcosm of society. It’s all there in technicolour. You see the effects of poor social housing, of lack of job opportunities, cuts to the health service, it’s all there.

“And that gives me credible argument, particularly when fighting for the NHS.”

The new leader and deputy leader of the Labour Party will be announced on 4 April.

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