By Andrew Woodcock
BURY MP Ivan Lewis has apologised unreservedly to a female civil servant who asked to be moved out of his private office because of his behaviour towards her, it was revealed today.
The Department of Health said the woman was "unhappy with the nature of her working relationship" with Mr Lewis, a junior government minister, but chose not to bring a formal complaint against him.
Press reports today suggested that the minister bombarded his young assistant private secretary with dozens of suggestive text messages.
The Mail on Sunday and News of the World named the woman as Susie Mason, who was 24 at the time and had been appointed to 41-year-old Mr Lewis's private office when he joined the Department of Health in 2006.
After complaining to her managers about his behaviour, she moved to another post within the department and has since left for an accountancy firm.
In a statement, the Department of Health said: "In 2007 a member of staff in the private office of Ivan Lewis informed her managers that she was unhappy with the nature of her working relationship with the minister.
"The situation was handled professionally and sensitively in full accordance with the employee's wishes. She raised no formal complaint against the minister and, as indicated, all the actions to resolve the matter were agreed with her.
"It was in that context that the decision was taken at the time not to pursue the matter further.
"At her request she left the minister's office and was given another job in the department. She was a hard-working, extremely competent employee and we were sad to see her subsequently leave the Department of Health.
"The minister in question apologises unreservedly."
Mr Lewis has been MP for Bury South since 1997. He joined the Government as a junior minister in the Education Department in 2001 and moved to the Treasury before being appointed to his current position with responsibility for social care and mental health in 2006.
He kept his post in Gordon Brown's first reshuffle after taking over as Prime Minister last year, but was later seen to have damaged his career prospects with press articles claiming Labour was "losing touch" with an angry and disappointed electorate.
end
Tweet
MP says sorry to aide
September 07, 2008
Showing comments 1 to 6 and replies | View All
Rt Hon Dr Rev MC Spanner MP QC FCA FRICS JP OK (07/09/2008 at 15:51)
That's what happens when you deviate from the party line. They take you and spit you out.
A minor understanding and Labour sell the story to every press agency they can find for daring to suggest that Labour is out of touch.
Welcome to the world of cash for honours, proganda, quangos and taxation.
Roll on 2010
Mark,Radcliffe. (07/09/2008 at 19:20)
Mr Manchester (07/09/2008 at 21:01)
-Soothsayer+ (07/09/2008 at 22:35)
The key word here is responsibility, as an MP you serve the public not lead a cushy life flirting with the staff. They all have it too easy and are paid too much!
Take a look at him, that's what's wrong with the country, the people that pull the strings .... obvious I know, so the answer is to get out and vote.
Dennis the Menace, Hyde (08/09/2008 at 01:02)
Another case of the press creating a sensation out of a rather mundane happening methinks ......
Although I have to say that the Rev Spanner may well be correct in his assumptions ......
Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield (08/09/2008 at 09:52)
The scandal is this has been leaked out over a year after it happened.
Coincidentally shortly after Lewis criticised the Government suggesting it was out of tune with the electorate.
So if you are an MP who dares to represent your constituents and don't toe the party line you will be shafted by dark forces.
This ZaNULabour has become a monster !!!