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Nottingham Labour activist ‘warned off’ reporting alleged rape

A Labour activist from Nottingham says she was raped by another party member and was discouraged from reporting the attack by a senior party official.

Bex Bailey said the attack was carried out at a party event in 2011 when she was aged 19, by another party member, who was not an MP.

Speaking to the BBC, she said was waiving her legal right to anonymity to encourage changes in how similar reports are dealt with.

Labour says it has launched an independent investigation.

Ms Bailey said: “The current procedure relies on you having to tell a member of staff in the first instance. That relies on staff members that perhaps, are inclined to be loyal to the Labour Party and put that first instead of individuals coming forward.”

She said an independent agency was needed to deal with allegations so party members could have more faith that their claims would be handled properly.

Ms Bailey, 25, is a prominent party campaigner from Nottingham who spent three years on the party’s National Executive Committee, representing Young Labour, young trade unionists and students. She currently sits on the Labour Women’s Network committee.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s PM, she said: “It took me a while to drum up the courage to tell anyone in the party. When I did I told a senior member of staff who told me, or it was suggested to me, that I not report it.

“I was told that if I did it might damage me.”

Polling day in William Morris ward 🌹🗳 #byelection pic.twitter.com/V5Qcrp1t22

— Bex Bailey (@bexbailey) June 29, 2017

Ms Bailey is a prominent Labour activist.

She did not report the attack to police at the time, saying she felt “scared and ashamed” adding: “I was worried that I would not be believed.”

She also claimed no support was offered by the official after the attack, in what was a “cold, horrible experience”.

A Labour Party spokesman said: “The Labour Party takes these allegations extremely seriously. It takes great courage for victims of rape to come forward – and all support must and will be made available to them.

“We would strongly recommend that the police investigate the allegations of criminal actions that Bex Bailey has made.

“Labour will also launch an independent investigation into claims that a party employee acted improperly over these 2011 allegations.”

Ms Bailey has been offered support by fellow party members from Notts.

Nottingham South Labour MP Lilian Greenwood tweeted: “Deeply shocked & horrified by this. Incredibly brave of @bexbailey to speak out & we owe it to her & others to ensure things change” and Ashfield Labour MP Gloria De Piero tweeted to say she “stood by” her.

Adam Mohamed, who previously stood to become the Labour nominee to stand in the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner elections, said: “Whilst I do not want to pre-judge what changes happen, there is a deeply embedded culture within the Party “machine” of patronage and authoritarianism which has massively contributed to the events that Bex describes and will not be easily removed.”

Nottingham City Councillor David Mellen tweeted: “Terrifically courageous interview from @bexbailey today. @UKLabour must address the issues she raises seriously.”

The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, said Bailey had “shown incredible bravery by talking publicly about what has happened to her and has my full support and solidarity.”

He added: “I have asked Labour’s general secretary, Iain McNicol, to launch an independent investigation into the allegations that she wasn’t given the support from the party she should have received and had the right to expect.”

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