Tory leader threatens to sue over 'lies'

British Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith today underlined his threat to sue over claims that he improperly employed his wife Betsy as an aide.

The Tory leader described the allegations – which are being examined by British parliament’s standards watchdog – as “false lies.”

Mr Duncan Smith told BBC Radio 4 News: “Imagine how I feel about these false lies that are told.

“I say categorically if anyone makes such allegations ... I will sue them.

“I have a whole legal team who have been looking at this, and I can tell you absolutely they will find themselves with a lawsuit.”

Mr Duncan Smith’s warning came as Sir Philip Mawer, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, commenced a “preliminary inquiry” into the claims against the Tory leader.

Sir Philip acted after the journalist Michael Crick delivered to him a dossier detailing his five-month long investigation into Mr Duncan Smith’s employment of his wife Betsy.

A spokesman for Sir Philip’s office said the Commissioner had read Mr Crick’s complaint, and was in contact with Mr Duncan Smith to ask for a response.

Mr Duncan Smith had already said that he would welcome an investigation “so that we can see the full facts and clear this up once and for all.”

Staff at Conservative Central Office were today compiling statements concerning Mrs Duncan Smith’s employment. Those involved were people who worked closely with Mrs Duncan Smith during the relevant period.

There are expected to be three or four statements, including one from Mrs Duncan Smith herself.

It was hoped that this dossier would be in Sir Philip’s hands this evening or tomorrow at the latest.

Arriving at Sir Philip’s Westminster office to hand in his dossier, Mr Crick told reporters: “A number of senior Tories have made serious allegations to Newsnight over the last few months about the way in which Iain Duncan Smith employed his wife Betsy on the Parliamentary payroll from the period September 2001 to December of last year, a period of 15, 16 months.

“Given the nature of the sources and the allegations they are making, plus other evidence that we have gathered, and given Mr Duncan Smith’s threats to sue, I felt the best course of action was to take this to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.

“It now seems that Mr Duncan Smith has decided the same thing and let’s hope that he (Sir Philip) can resolve it.”

Should Sir Philip decide to launch a full investigation into the way Mr Duncan Smith’s office was run, ultimately his findings would go to the Labour-dominated Commons Standards and Privileges Committee, which would decide whether to accept or reject them.

It would be for the Committee to recommend any disciplinary action, which would then be voted on by all MPs.

In the meantime, the allegations may encourage opponents of Mr Duncan Smith to go public in an attempt to depose the Tory leader, who had to endure talk of a plot against him dominating his party’s annual conference in Blackpool last week.

Speculation continues over what might happen once MPs return to Westminster tomorrow.

Up to 15 of the 25 Tory MPs needed to force a vote of confidence are already said to have come forward.

Plotters are being threatened with written warnings to their constituency associations.

Shadow health secretary Liam Fox accused what he said was a small number of Tory MPs and ex-party employees of trying to de-stabilise Mr Duncan Smith’s leadership and to “smear” his reputation.

Speaking outside Central Office, Dr Fox said: “It is quite clear that Mr Duncan Smith has been treated abominably in this matter. This is a classic case of a political smear.”

He urged some of his colleagues to recognise that their duty “is to the governance of the United Kingdom and not to their own egos.”

Dr Fox went on: “I am extremely irritated that at a time when the party is moving forward, when we are five points ahead of Labour in the polls, when we have put forward interesting policies, that there is this attempt to de-stabilise the leadership.”

Meanwhile, Vanessa Gearson, the senior Tory aide who initially raised concerns about Mr Duncan Smith’s employment of his wife, was thought to be in discussions with party officials.

Ms Gearson arrived at Central Office without commenting to waiting reporters.

Earlier, her lawyers confirmed that she had taken legal advice to “protect her integrity and that of the Conservative Party”.

An e-mail from Ms Gearson, now deputy director of Conservative Central Office, is among the documents assembled by Mr Crick.