Simon Danczuk 'Urged Miliband To Axe Janner' Six Months Before Peer's Suspension For Historic Sex Abuse

Labour MP Attacks Party For Failing To Act Quickly Over Lord Janner Allegations

Labour MP Simon Danczuk has accused his party of failing to act “quickly and efficiently” after he urged Ed Miliband to remove Lord Janner last year after police revealed historic sex abuse allegations.

Speaking on Channel 4 News on Monday, Danczuk said he wrote to the then-Labour leader over the “stomach churching” allegations in October, six months before the party finally took action.

The MP said he wrote the missive after being visited by police officers investigating the peer. Labour did suspend Janner in April after the Crown Prosecution Service said they had enough evidence to charge the 86-year-old on 20 counts of abuse but said he would not stand trial because of dementia.

Danczuk: 'All political parties have been slow to act in relation to child sexual abuse and allegations'

"The nature of the allegations is so serious that really decisive action was required,” said Danczuk. "All political parties have been slow to act in relation to child sexual abuse and allegations within political parties. It's also fair to say that the Labour Party isn't any different to the other political parties in failing to act quickly and efficiently on dealing with this sort of issue."

Janner is accused of offences carried out over three decades from the 1960s in which he allegedly used his influence as the MP for Leicester to abuse vulnerable young boys at a local children's home.

A Labour Party spokesman said: "When the Labour Party received notice of the allegations against Lord Janner, we asked Leicestershire Police to confirm that they were pursuing an investigation with a view to bringing charges, but they were unable to do so. As soon as evidence was produced by the Crown Prosecution Service, Lord Janner was suspended from the Labour Party.”

Close

What's Hot