Very dishonourable members: Profumo, politics and six decades of sexual sleaze

Daisy Goodwin’s allegations of groping by Daniel Korski is just the latest episode of inappropriate behaviour in Westminster, writes historian Guy Walters. The sense of sexual entitlement felt by powerful male politicians goes back to Profumo and Mandy Rice-Davies, and shows no sign of abating

Mandy Rice-Davies with her friend Christine Keeler (right) at the height of the Profumo scandal (PA)

For some men – and it is always men – political power comes hand in hand with sexual entitlement. These are the men who will trot out that line about power being an aphrodisiac, and yet are unaware that it more often applies to their own libidos than to those they pursue. The place to find these men is, of course, in Westminster, and there does not seem to be a building (or even a room) there in which some form of sexual contact – often non-consensual – has not occurred.

The latest reported episode in what is a depressingly long history is that which is alleged to have happened in 10 Downing Street itself a decade ago between the television producer Daisy Goodwin, and current London mayoral hopeful Daniel Korski. Ms Goodwin says that Mr Korski put a hand on her breast at the end of a meeting – an act that would constitute sexual assault. Mr Korski utterly denies this, to which Ms Goodwin responded on the Today programme on Wednesday morning with the words: “Well, I could say, he would say that, wouldn’t he?”