United Kingdom: CFWIJ stands In Solidarity With Journalist Ailbhe Rea As She Ousts Stanley Johnson For Sexual Misconduct

Location: United Kingdom, London
Date: November 17, 2021

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's father, Stanley Johnson, was accused of groping at Tory’s conference in 2003 by Conservative Party MP Caroline Nokes. Journalist Ailbhe Rea joined allegations following Nokes’ opening. Similarly, the journalist revealed the inappropriate touching to her at the party conference in 2019. The Shadow cabinet, Labour Party called for an investigation. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) demands an immediate inquiry against Stanley Johnson. Legal action must be taken for the misconduct.

Stanley Johnson also groped me at a party at Conservative conference in 2019.

I am grateful to Caroline Nokes for calling out something that none of us should have to put up with, not least from the Prime Minister's father. https://t.co/Uf6lEdatux

— Ailbhe Rea (@PronouncedAlva) November 15, 2021

Stanley Johnson, the father of UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, was accused of groping by senior Tory’s MP Caroline Nokes and the New Statesman’s reporter Ailbhe Rea. Nokes, the chair of the Women and Equalities Committee in the UK’s Parliament, voiced the allegation that Stanley Johnson, who is now 81, forcibly smacked her backside at the Conservative Party conference in 2003. Then, journalist Ailbhe Rea joined Nokes that Johnson, who was a member of the European Parliament (MEP) that time, grabbed her at the 2019 Tory convention. 

“I am grateful to Caroline Nokes for calling out something that none of us should have to put up with, not least from the Prime Minister's father,” Ailbhe tweeted on her account. 

Following the politician's misconduct was exposed, Johnson said to Sky News that he did not know the MP and journalist who were the subject of the inappropriately touching. “I have no recollection of Caroline Nokes at all - but there you go. And no reply,” Johnson told Sky News. 

The allegations came on Monday, November 15, in a panel discussion that took place on Sky News. The senior MP said, "I can remember a prominent man - at the time the Conservative candidate for Teignbridge in Devon - smacking me on the backside about as hard as he could and going, 'oh, Romsey, you've got a lovely seat'."

The PM is expected to be quizzed by Caroline Nokes today at his appearance at the Commons Liaison Committee. 

The CFWIJ stands in solidarity with Ailbhe Rea and Caroline Nokes is grateful for them to speak about, what must have been, an extremely stressful memory to recall. We call the UK to conduct an immediate investigation into sexual misconduct. Legal action must be taken into these unfortunate incidents. 

The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.

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