The Tory Party “knew of the groping claims against Daniel Korski” but included him in the list of London mayors anyway

Conservative party faces growing pressure to investigate allegations of London mayoral candidate felt the TV producer’s chest in Downing Street.

The party initially said it would not pursue Daniel Korski’s claims of sexual assault against Daisy Goodwin because it had not received a formal complaint. But on Tuesday night Ms Goodwin said she had contacted the Cabinet Office to do so.

And in an unusual move, Mr Korski claimed party bosses knew about the allegations, which he denies, long before they were revealed publicly on Monday night.

Mr Korski said he disclosed them during the mayoral race after being asked if there were any “unresolved issues” the party should be aware of.

“And I said to the party, ‘Seven years ago there was history. I have never been named in history. As far as I know, there was no investigation.” But I told the party about it,” he said.

In an interview with Talk TV, Mr Korski insisted he was still eligible to be the Tory mayoral candidate, adding: “All I can say is she’s wrong.”

Ms. Goodwin said The Times on Tuesday evening she approached the Cabinet to lodge a formal complaint.

Labor called for Mr Korski to be suspended from the party and urged the Tories to launch a “thorough investigation”.

Marcia De Cordova, Labor MP for Battersea, south-west London, condemned the lack of an investigation, saying: “Ignoring these allegations while the Prime Minister claims tackling sexual violence against women is a priority for of his government, is insincere.”

She also stressed that Mr Korski was a “senior civil servant” at the time of the alleged incident and called on the Cabinet Office to investigate.

Earlier, official spokesman Rishi Sunaka said the prime minister expected allegations of harassment to be investigated “in every walk of life”, despite his party’s refusal to investigate the allegations.

When asked whether the Prime Minister considers number 10 a safe environment for women, the spokesperson replied: “yes”.

Ms Goodwin, who created the ITV drama Victoriaaccused Mr Korski of touching her breasts a decade ago at the end of a Downing Street meeting.

She said Mr Korski, then a special adviser to David Cameron and 15 years her junior, made an “embarrassingly flirtatious” comment about her sunglasses, comparing her to Italian actress Monica Bellucci. He then propped his feet up on the edge of her chair before “leaning back so I could get a good view of his crotch”. When the couple stood up at the end of the meeting, Ms Goodwin said Mr Korski walked up to her and “suddenly put his hand on my chest”.

Mr. Korski “categorically” denies his guilt. “Politics can be a difficult and difficult business. Unfortunately, in this difficult environment, this baseless accusation from the past has resurfaced,” he said on Twitter.

“It is sad to be associated with this allegation after so many years, but I want to state unequivocally that I categorically deny any allegations of inappropriate behavior. I denied when they hinted at 7 years [ago] and I’m doing it now.”

The confirmation that Mr Korski would not be investigated came as the businessman faced mounting pressure to withdraw from the mayoral race.

A senior Tory MP said The Independent: “There is less than a month left before the election of the candidate, and the wheels are falling off the campaign favorite.

“It shows what a farce the selection was. Paul Scully should have been on the shortlist. He is tested and used to public scrutiny.” Mr. Scully, Minister of the Government of Londonfailed to make the Conservative shortlist for the race.

Nick Conner, who helped Samuel Kasum’s Tory mayoral bid, urged the party to “act now”. “With just under 4 weeks left in the conservative mayoral race, two of the three candidates have found themselves embroiled in front-page scandal. Questions are asked about the party’s long and short list of candidates process. The whole selection turned into a farce.”

London Assembly Member (AM) Susan Hall and barrister Mozammel Hossain Kay are also vying for the nomination.

Mr Korski is running on a platform of a new tourist tax to pay for more policing, including setting up a petty crime police to work closely with local communities and building denser housing in central London.

He was seen as a front-runner and his campaign was backed by Secretary Michael Gove and senior Tories Robert Buckland and Nadhim Zahavi. But the allegations dealt a heavy blow to his campaign.

Mrs. Goodwin told about the incident in 2017, but did not mention Mr. Korski’s name then. She said she named him now because of his candidacy for mayor of London.

“It’s unfair to the vast majority of men who treat women decently to allow men who clearly have impulse control issues to occupy a position of power,” she said.

Writing in The Times, Ms Goodwin urged others who may have “had similar experiences” to Mr Korski to come forward.

Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) said the party has an “established code of conduct” and “formal processes where complaints can be kept confidential”.

A CCHQ spokesman said: “The party considers all complaints made under the Code of Conduct but does not conduct investigations unless the party would be deemed to have primary jurisdiction over another body.”