Leon Brittan rape inquiry: Tom Watson admits he went too far in describing the former MP as evil

Brittan’s brother, Sir Samuel Brittan, called on Watson to 'apologise in public' for making 'unforgiveable' slurs and 'unfounded accusations against my brother'

Tom Watson delivering speech on the final day of the annual Labour party conference (PA)

Tom Watson has admitted going too far in describing Leon Brittan as evil when repeating child sex abuse allegations in the wake of the former Conservative home secretary’s death earlier this year.

The deputy Labour leader was responding to demands that he apologise for what Liberal Dem peer Lord Lester described as a “cowardly attack” on Lord Brittan, in the wake of increasing doubt over the legitimacy of the claims.

Brittan’s brother, Sir Samuel Brittan, called on Watson to “apologise in public” for making “unforgiveable” slurs and “unfounded accusations against my brother.”

And Conservative MP Nigel Evans, who was found not guilty last year on rape and sexual assault charges, accused the Labour MP of having: “set himself up as judge and jury.”

Doubts have continued to rise over the claims made against former Home Secretary Leon Brittan (Getty)

In a blog posted on the Huffington Post yesterday, the Labour MP said: “I repeated a line used by one of the alleged survivors, who said: “He is close to evil as any human being could get”. I shouldn't have repeated such an emotive phrase.”

He added: “I have said in the past that I am sorry for the distress Leon Brittan's family experienced as they grieved for him. I still am.”

But Mr Watson, who has raised a number of allegations of paedophile networks in recent years, stopped short of a full apology.

He claimed it was his duty to demand, when writing to Alison Saunders, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) last year, that police investigate the allegations.

The late peer was questioned under caution last summer, but no further action was taken. Brittan was never informed of this. Earlier this week the Metropolitan Police apologised for failing to tell the family he had been cleared.

And on 6 October, one of his alleged victims claimed in a BBC Panorama documentary that campaigners had pressured him into making allegations and that he had given names, including Brittan, “as a joke suggestion to start with.”

But writing in his blog on 9 October, Mr Watson remained unrepentant for calling for the late peer to be investigated. “It does not matter who you are, what you do or how powerful you might be, when someone makes an allegation against you it has to be treated seriously.”

According to the Labour MP, the former home secretary would have been interviewed by police “even if I hadn't intervened because the DPP made it clear in her reply to my letter that the police investigation into him was ongoing.”