Andy Burnham hauls in telly bosses to ‘stop abuses of power’ after scandals

The Little Britain actor, who denies any wrongdoing, was suspended from the Labour Party following the release of revelations by ITV News and The Guardian.

Mr Burnham and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy have both spoken out about the need to address concerns with media bosses.

“We are convening senior members of the media and entertainment industries to put a stop to abuses of power,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.

“The Culture Secretary set out her position last night. These are deeply troubling allegations in the Walliams case.

“Whether there are reports of criminality, that is for the police to investigate, as the Met has set out.

“They haven’t received any reports of sexual assault or any other offences, but anyone who believes they were a witness of or victim of a crime should contact police.”

The spokesman added: “We’re clear that every organisation should look hard at whether they’re doing enough to keep people safe, and if people raise concerns that their allegations will be taken seriously, and that’s why the Culture Secretary is convening senior members of the media and entertainment industries.”

“This Government has declared violence against women and girls as a national emergency, and we’re determined to act on that.”

The allegations against Mr Walliams emerged following a three-year investigation by ITV News and The Guardian, which heard from more than 100 people, including more than 30 with first-hand accounts of his alleged conduct.

Two women claimed they first met the comedian when they were just 15, with one alleging he began contacting her before starting a sexual relationship with her when she was 17.

Another woman described an alleged encounter with Mr Walliams when she was 15 as sexual assault.

The comedian has also been accused of using his position on Britain’s Got Talent to pursue young women, alongside allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards female colleagues at his former publisher Harper Collins.

Mr Walliams strongly denies the allegations, including claims of grooming, sexual harassment and criminal wrongdoing.

“Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with,” Mr Walliams said in a statement.

“I realise I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account. That is something I regret.

“And whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that I never did.”

He added: “I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law, but I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me.”

The revelations come just days after fellow comic Russell Brand was convicted of rape and three counts of sexual assault against four women.

Brand, 51, was sentenced to ten years and six months in prison at Southwark Crown Court on Monday.

The case has intensified scrutiny of the entertainment industry, with Ms Nandy explicitly drawing a comparison between the two scandals in her intervention.

The Culture Secretary said: “These allegations are the latest in a long line of reported abuses of power in an industry where we have known for so long that the power imbalances are huge.

“Russell Brand’s eventual conviction was a stark reminder that we are still far too reliant on the courage of brave women who choose to come forward despite knowing they will pay a heavy price and may not be believed – and a handful of persistent journalists who risk everything to tell their stories.”

She continued: “This week we announced that we are convening senior members of the media and entertainment industries to draw a line in the sand.

“A decade and a half on from the revelations about Jimmy Savile and ten years on from the Me Too movement, we must finally take meaningful steps to end abuse and harassment in sectors where the power imbalances are huge and careers are built on contacts and reputation.

“Women must feel safe in their jobs, whistleblowers must be protected, and those who abuse their position must no longer be able to hide behind it.

“To victims past and present, this government is not neutral when it comes to your safety.”

The scandal has also prompted questions about Labour’s own previous links to Brand, with Downing Street forced to defend Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband over a past interview with him.

Mr Miliband interviewed Brand in 2015, after he had been sacked from his BBC Radio 2 show following the so-called “Sachsgate” scandal.

Asked whether the Foreign Secretary should explain his previous contact with Brand, the Prime Minister’s political spokesman pointed to Mr Burnham’s previous comments on the case.

“As he said, it’s not always the case that people know everything about people in public life, but what is important is where there is wrongdoing, it is exposed,” the spokesman said.

He added the Prime Minister had praised the courage of Brand’s victims and the journalists who brought their allegations to light.

Pressed on whether Mr Burnham had asked the Foreign Secretary to explain his interview, the spokesman said it had been “a long time ago”.

“Had I or Ed Miliband or anybody at the time had any sense at all that this was someone who was a sexual predator, that interview, I’m sure, would not have happened,” he added.

The Prime Minister has also been asked about a supportive social media post he published in 2014.

He said: “It’s not always the case that people know everything about people in public life.”

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