Cabinet Office declines to investigate Korski groping claim

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Louise Thomas

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An allegation that former Conservative mayoral hopeful Daniel Korski groped a TV producer in Downing Street a decade ago will not be investigated by the Cabinet Office.

Mr Korski quit the contest after television producer Daisy Goodwin made a formal complaint over the alleged incident in No 10, when Mr Korski was a special adviser to then-prime minister David Cameron.

Ms Goodwin told the Times that a senior official in the Cabinet Office had informed her that there were two options – to refer it to the police if it was a criminal matter or do nothing given that Mr Korski no longer worked in Government.

She told the paper that the response was disappointing.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “The Cabinet Office has been approached by an individual in relation to this matter and they have been directed to the relevant authorities for such allegations.”

Mr Korski, who pulled out of the race to become the Conservative mayoral candidate on Wednesday, has “categorically” denied the claim.

He said he was quitting “with a heavy heart” because the allegation was becoming a “distraction”.

Ms Goodwin had previously complained about the Cabinet Office complaints process, describing it as “harder than trying to get a telephone engineer”.

She had used an article in the Times newspaper to name Mr Korski in relation to the allegation.

The Conservative Party has confirmed the race will go ahead with the two remaining candidates, Mozammel Hossain and Susan Hall, with hustings taking place as scheduled from June 12 to July 3, despite calls for the selection process to be reopened.