British politicians on ꦓThursday urged Scotland Yard to probe a shocking account of groping and se🐼xual harassment against hostesses during an all-male charity gala in London, according to reports.
At least three members of ♉Par𝔉liament contacted police to investigate the way the women were treated at the fundraiser, which was billed as “the most un-PC event of the year,” .
Two Financial Times reporters infiltrated the Presidents Club Charity event at the swan🍃ky Dorchester Hotel, where about 130 hostesses who were instructed to wear skimpy outfits were exposed to boℱorish behavior.
The black-tie gala was attended by 360 figures from British aris🅠tocracy, business, politics and the entertainment industry who subjected the women to lewd verbal a🌳nd physical behavior.
In a joint letter to police commissioner Cressida Dick, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable and his deputy, Jo Swinson, cited the public outrage over the reports of “ꦫwealthy and powerful men groping, intimidating aꦛnd abusing women working at a charity dinner.”
They added: “We would be grateful if you can now confirm that the Metropolitan police will investigate the criminal nature of allegations made against indiviಌduals involved.”
The pols stressed that “there can be no place in t♛oday’s Britain for the behaviour reported, nor for ‘secret societies’ behind which individual perpetrators can hide.”
One of the hostesses told ITV’s “Good Morning Britain” that “there was a lot of groping, girls sitting on laps, men beckoning girls over to their tables to talk to them. 🦋It just didn🐼’t seem right.”
When asked by host Ben Shephard if🎃 she felt harassed, she replied: “Yes I did,” the paper reported.
“The organizers were quite pushyᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ and scary. If you were seen not talking to a man you would be pushed towards a man and say, ‘Look at that man over there, he looks lonely, go and talk to him, you’re being paid to do a job.’”
Jess Phillips, chairwoman of the Women’s Parliamentary Labour Party, also contacted police amid reports that some of the women at the after-party were believ🌞ed to be prostitutes.
“While these are anonymous accounts it does appear there was potentially pimping,” said Phillips, who encouraged hostesses who believed𒆙 they were abused to contact her ano🎉nymously.
Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, said she was shocked by one account🌳 of 🐬how men were treating women as “sex workers.”
“Read this int🍒erview. Not just harassment & groping — this is exploiting & pimping young women for rich men and using charity to hide behind. Whole thing musಞt be investigated for breach of law,” .
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Theresa May’s families and children minister, Nadhim Zahawi, was summoned to Downing Street to explain his attenꦬdance at the sordid affair, .
Culture Secretary Matt Hancock said he believed Zahawi’s explanation that he had left the event early having felt “extremely uncomfortable” by the events was “reasonable🐼.”
About 50,000 people have signed a petition calling on the government to tighten employment laws ☂in the wake of the scandal.
The campaigners urged Home Secretary Amber Rudd to reintroduce a repealed clause of the equalities act that protects employees from harassment by third parties other than 𒉰their employer, the Standard reported.
The Charity Commission saidಞ it was looking into the allegations “as a matter of urgency.” The Dorchester Hotel said it was unaware of any claims after the event and that it has launched a probe.
As a result of the outrage, the Presidents Club announced ꦅthat it would close.