Tory bullying scandal: Mother of party activist who took his own life claims inquiry treated family 'like suspects'

Alison Johnson said they would not go away quietly because she wanted 'justice for her son'

Mark Clarke (front left) and Elliot Johnson (back right) on the stage at the Conservative Party conference in 2014 (PA)

The mother of a young Tory activist, whose death prompted the bullying scandal that has engulfed the Conservative Party, said the family have been treated like suspects instead of grieving parents.

Alison Johnson, whose 21-year-old son Elliot died in September last year, said they she had been particularly offended when it appeared the inquiry wanted to speak to her and her husband separately “to find out what our stories are.”

“It is not a story,” she told the BBC’s Newsnight programme. “It is the facts. We can only deal with the facts. Elliott has now gone, we can only deal with the facts."

She added that they were probably thinking the family would “go away quietly” but said they would not because she wanted “justice for her son.”

The inquiry was set up to investigate allegations of bullying in its youth campaigning organisation RoadTrip, which was run by “Tatler Tory” Mark Clarke.

Mr Johnson claimed in his suicide note that he had been bullied by Mr Clarke and since his death in September a number of other Tory activists have made similar bullying claims.

Mr Clarke, who has been expelled from the Conservative party for life, denies all the allegations against him.

Mrs Johnson told the BBC she and her husband Ray had been frozen out by the Conservative Party. She added that they only found that the law firm Clifford Chance had been engaged by the party to manage the inquiry “through the press.”

Their son’s death led to claims the Conservative Party Headquarters had ignored complaints and warnings about the conduct of Clarke and others.

This prompted the resignation by Grant Shapps from his role as co-chairman of the Conservative Party and International development minister, who said the buck stopped with him.

The Conservative Party said: "We would like to again express our very deepest sympathies to Elliott's family and friends."

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