A Labour candidate for a seat in east London has withdrawn from the general election following an allegation of sexual harassment.
Councillor Darren Rodwell, the leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, denied any wrongdoing as he said that he would not run in the election, to be held next month.
Mr Rodwell’s alleged victim said she met him for a coffee while at an event, believing the meeting was set up to discuss a development in Barking.
In the communication to the party, the complainant said: “After 10 to 15 minutes, he started asking personal questions which I was not happy to answer. He was ordering more drinks for himself. As I was obviously not happy to be present and was looking for a way to leave, he started touching my hands and legs in a sexual way.
“He clearly had other ideas about the meeting. He touched my legs and body inappropriately and I’ve made it clear to him that I did not want him to touch me and left the meeting immediately.”
The complaint file, seen by The Independent, reads: ”The complainant has received confirmation that an investigator will be contacting her in regards to the allegations.”
In his statement on Tuesday evening, Mr Rodwell insisted the Labour Party had “made clear that there is no active investigation into complaints about me”, adding: “But I believe it to be in the best interests of my family at this time to step aside from the candidacy as I have to put family first.”
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