OPINION
Sir Chris Bryant latest revelations are irresponsible (Image: PA)
Sir Chris Bryant’s recent revelation that he was sexually assaulted by five male MPs is, if true, a deeply serious matter. He has my full sympathy. But what is indefensible is how he chose to share this allegation – not with the police, but in the press, timed with the release of his latest book. The result? A sweeping cloud of suspicion cast over every male MP from that era, with no possibility of redress for the innocent. That is not bravery. It is irresponsibility dressed up as courage.
These kinds of insinuations – dramatic, unspecific and aired without accountability – are not just unfair. They are dangerous. They corrode public trust and subvert the very principles of due process we claim to value. At a time when confidence in Parliament and politicians is already on a knife-edge, this kind of behaviour fans the flames of cynicism and suspicion.
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We’ve been here before and we have paid dearly for it. In 2012, Tom Watson, then an MP, stood in the House of Commons and declared under the protection of Parliamentary Privilege that there was a “powerful paedophile network” at the heart of Westminster and Number 10.
He amplified the lies of Carl Beech, a fraudster and convicted paedophile. What followed was Operation Midland, a multi-million catastrophe that destroyed reputations, ruined lives and produced not a single charge. I was one of those falsely accused and I continue to live with the consequences to this day.
Despite being fully vindicated, I remain a target. I’ve moved home several times on police advice due to credible death threats. Panic alarms and CCTV are fixtures in my home – for the safety of my partner of 50 years. The smoke of insinuation lingers long after the fire is extinguished.
Those falsely implicated by Carl Beech – innocent and distinguished public servants such as Sir Edward Heath, Lord Brittan, and even myself – are still under the cosh of that corrosive maxim: “no smoke without fire.” In the eyes of some, we remain ‘wronguns,’ not because of evidence, but because of homophobic innuendo. It is a stain that truth cannot fully erase.
And yet, lessons still haven’t been learned. When public figures blur the line between allegation and spectacle, they do a grave disservice not just to the accused, but to genuine victims. In recent years, we’ve finally seen progress in holding powerful men to account for misconduct. But that fragile progress is undermined when headlines replace evidence.
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There’s also an uncomfortable truth at play: we rightly hear much about misogyny and racism in our institutions, but homophobia is too often ignored.
The horrific failings that allowed the serial killer Stephen Port to go undetected were steeped in homophobia. As Baroness Casey’s 2023 report made clear, the Metropolitan Police remains institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic. This culture extends far beyond the Met.
The false equivalence between homosexuality and paedophilia made me an easy target for Carl Beech and the Met. That’s why, at my 2015 press conference, I said: “I am a homosexual. I am not a murderer or a paedophile.”
This was the first time I had ever confirmed that I am a homosexual. I had to. I was forced to.
Now, Sir Chris has re-entered this treacherous terrain. As a former Chair of the Standards Committee, he understands the weight of public words and the importance of process. He should be urging victims to report wrongdoing through proper channels – not making dramatic, unsubstantiated claims.
There is a bitter irony at the heart of all this. Those who supported Carl Beech and elevated his lies made it harder for real survivors to come forward and be believed. They diverted precious resources away from real investigations and discredited the cause they claimed to serve. They owe an apology to genuine victims, the very people they harmed in the name of helping.
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Westminster must not become a stage for innuendo. Allegations must be tested through rigorous investigation, not leaked to the media for personal or political gain.
Sir Chris's claims are serious and they must be treated seriously. That begins with a report to the police. Anything less is not bravery. It is a betrayal of victims, of justice, and of the public trust he once had a duty to protect.
Harvey Proctor is President of the non-profit organisation, Facing Allegations in Contexts of Trust (FACT)
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