Labour's Women and Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson has said the Government should “go further” on restricting the use of non-disclosure agreements following allegations made against David Walliams. She said Ministry of Justice colleagues were looking at what the government can do to intervene so injunctions are not misused.
Comedian and author David Walliams was named as part of an investigation by the Guardian and ITV News on Tuesday, after he tried to obtain an injunction to prevent the reporting of allegations against him. One woman described her alleged encounter with Walliams, when she was 15, as a “sexual assault”. Multiple women accuse him of “grooming” them when they were teenagers. He denies any wrongdoing.
Government considering a ban
Bridget Phillipson told Sky News: “We do need to look to go further. I think there is scope to go further on this to make sure that we do not see the legal system basically abused in order to silence women.”
Asked if that included looking at a ban, she said: “Yes, because we cannot have a system where rich and powerful individuals, rich and powerful men, are able to silence women by their silence and stop things coming to light.”
Downing Street response
Every organisation should “look hard at whether they are doing enough to keep people safe” and take any allegations seriously, Downing Street also said following the allegations made against the Little Britain star and former Britain's Got Talent judge.
Asked what the Prime Minister's message was to the TV industry about the power imbalance between powerful men and people they want to prey on, his official spokesperson said: “We are convening senior members of the media and entertainment industries to put a stop to abuses of power. And I think, as you say, you heard the Culture Secretary set out her position last night. These are deeply troubling allegations in the Walliams case and, of course, where there are reports of criminality, that's for the police to investigate, as the Met has set out.
“They haven't received any related reports of sexual assault or any other offences, but anyone who believes they've been a victim of or witness to a crime should contact the police.
“And as the victims' minister said this morning, men in positions of power using their influence to exploit vulnerable young women and girls is evident in this case, and it's a pattern of behaviour that needs to change.
“We're clear that every organisation should look hard at whether they are doing enough to keep people safe, and if people can raise concerns, knowing that their allegations will be taken seriously, and that's why the Culture Secretary is convening senior members of the media and entertainment industries to put a stop to abuses of power.”
Equalities minister speaks in Commons
In the House of Commons, equalities minister Satvir Kaur also said that non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) “must never be used to cover up workplace harassment or discrimination.”
Asked whether the Government will ban the misuse of NDAs for harassment and misconduct for everyone, Ms Kaur told the Commons: “We are clear that NDAs must never be used to cover up workplace harassment or discrimination. Reports this week have shown how important this is and the horrific consequences of these imbalances of power.
“The Employment Rights Act will stop employers using NDAs to silence workers about harassment or discrimination in the workplace. And there is a consultation with the analysis to go further on which groups are included and we're looking at what we can do regarding injunctions as well.”
She later added: “If this week has shown us anything, it is that no-one is above the law. We have heard a lot about rich, powerful men using their positions to use and hurt women and girls.
“But these are also stories of strong women, both the victims and those in the media who expose the perpetrators in positions of power, and I want to pay tribute to their bravery and courage in coming forward and speaking out about deeply personal experiences, so justice can be served.”
