Political

David Steel leaves Lib Dems, House of Lords

Earlier this week former Liberal Party leader David Steel announced he has left the Liberal Democrats and will be leaving the House of Lords:

David Steel has quit the party and the Lords after an inquiry said he “turned a blind eye” to claims of child abuse.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse [IICSA] criticised political groups for not acting on complaints.

It accused Lord Steel of an “abdication of responsibility” over accusations against the late MP Cyril Smith.

Lord Steel said he was quitting because he wanted to avoid “distress” for his family and “turmoil” for his party.

The former MP and MSP also said he was being made “a proxy for Cyril Smith”, the former Rochdale MP who was investigated over allegations about the abuse of teenage boys in 1969.

Lord Steel had told the inquiry that he was made aware of the allegations against Smith 10 years later and “assumed” they were true, but said they were “nothing to do with me” because they predated Smith’s time in parliament. [BBC]

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie reacted:

He’s resigned from the party and withdrawn from public life because of the inquiry’s conclusion and I think that was the right decision.

A party spokesperson said in response to the IICSA report:

Cyril Smith’s acts were vile and repugnant. We have nothing but sympathy for those whose lives he ruined.

David Steel’s full statement says:

For the last ten days I have been visiting old friends and projects I have supported over the years in Africa.

Despite poor phone and email reception I have been made aware of press speculation about the IICSA report which I have now been able to read after its publication. I am angered by it as many others will be.

Knowing all I know now, I condemn Cyril Smith’s actions towards children. Children deserve protection from predators, especially those in authority. Dealing with such cases is the IICSA’s legitimate role. I believe in the highest standards of human rights, particularly for young and vulnerable people.

I regret the time spent on pursuing Leon Brittan, Lord Bramall and others, who it is clear had done no wrong. Not having secured a parliamentary scalp, I fear that I have been made a proxy for Cyril Smith.

Nowhere do IICSA explain what powers I was supposed to possess to investigate 14 year old allegations against someone (who at the time of the actions alleged was not even a member of my party), that the police and successive DPPs reviewed with access to all files.

IICSA refused my offer of clarification on my oral testimony to them, which has since been widely reported.

Contrary to some reports, at no point did Cyril Smith admit to me the truth of the allegations in the Private Eye report. He admitted that there had been an investigation by police of acts alleged against him whilst he was a councillor in another political party, as was reported. Smith and I did not discuss further what IICSA counsel himself correctly described as “a very very brief conversation” in 1979.

My legal advisers have expressed concern to me that the Inquiry should have delayed my appearance until they had sorted their failed “loop” hearing system for my hearing aids. They are right, and I did not have legal representation when giving evidence to IICSA. I should have asked for a delay myself as the transcript shows, I had difficulty hearing their questions.

Cyril Smith was a well-known MP for Rochdale for 15 years, at the end of which he was granted the then customary knighthood, that having been approved by the Honours Scrutiny Committee, and by PM Margaret Thatcher after again considering the full available information.

That Smith was never a friend of mine is exemplified by his public decision not to speak for any constituency party which had voted for me as leader in 1976.

I have received indications that some in the Liberal Democrat Party wish me suspended and investigated again, despite a previous disciplinary process in Scotland which concluded that no further action was required. I am told that others are threatening to resign if a new investigation is started.

I wish to avoid any such turmoil in my Party and to prevent further distress to my family. I have therefore thanked my local party secretary for their stalwart support through the whole IICSA process, and have informed the local Party that my resignation is with immediate effect.

As to membership of the House of Lords, friends and colleagues including The Lord Speaker are aware that I have been contemplating retirement next month to coincide with the 55th anniversary of my election as an MP. With considerable personal sorrow, and thanks to all I have worked with in the Party and more widely, I have now decided this is what I should do as soon as possible.

My wife has suffered poor health this past year. I shall now stop the weekly travel from Scotland to London and enjoy a quiet retirement from public life.

Here is the IICSA report which triggered this statement.

One response to “David Steel leaves Lib Dems, House of Lords”

  1. if I recall correctly, David was critical of the Lords, as we all are, but he said that the role of being in the Lords should be an active one, not a sinecure, and should probably be granted for a limited period of, say, 10yrs. So he is simply sticking to principle on that, albeit more than 10yrs.

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