Lord Rennard: Lib Dem peer accused of sexual harassment appointed to party's ruling body

Lord Rennard was suspended from the party and apologised over the allegations

Lord Rennard (Rex Features)

A Liberal Democrat peer who was accused of sexually harassing female party activists has been appointed to the party’s supreme ruling body.

Lord Rennard was elected by his liberal colleagues in the House of Lords to the party’s Federal Executive, which is responsible for directing and coordinating the work of the Lib Dems.

He was suspended from the party in January 2014 for initially not apologising after a previous party investigation found there was evidence he had “violated the personal space” of other party members.

He was later reinstated after ultimately issuing an apology.

Liberal Democrat Voice, a popular blog in the party, warned that the election of the peer was likely to be controversial.

A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: “This is a vote that happened independently in the House of Lords, this is not something that anyone else in the party gets involved in.”

Tim Farron, the party’s new leader, has previously said he had no intention of appointing Lord Rennard to any role within the party.

It was Mr Farron who, as party president in January 2014, decided to suspend the peer.

The peer is well-respected as a campaigner by some in the party’s upper ranks and was defended at the time the allegations were made by figures including MEPs and other peers.

Helena Morrissey, who investigated the party’s response to the allegations said in December 2014:

“Every investigation has concluded with no further action to be taken against Lord Rennard. The process over the past nearly two years – conducted according to the prevailing rules – has run its course and although the outcome is a source of great frustration to some, I believe that the Party can only move on if that outcome is accepted.

“At this stage, given that the Party applied its own processes, there is no justification for it remaining ambivalent towards Lord Rennard – he should be just as welcome a participant or guest at Party events as any other.”

A spokesperson for Lord Rennard told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: “There was a lengthy investigation by independent QC Alistair Webster. He also concluded that there was insufficient evidence even to proceed to a disciplinary hearing.

“The Liberal Democrat Party has now dealt with all the allegations and the matter is closed.”