Mike Hill, the former Labour MP for Hartlepool, has denied resigning from his seat in March because of allegations of sexual harassment made by a parliamentary staff member. Appearing before an employment tribunal in central London, he insisted he hopes to clear his name.
Hill told the tribunal that he stood down after being informed by an unnamed person that party support would “dissipate” once details of the allegations emerged on social media. He also rejected claims that he sexually assaulted the complainant, known as Ms A, or that he encouraged her to take her own life.
Ms A has accused Hill of sexual harassment and victimisation, alleging that he wrote to her saying he “craved her body”, climbed into her bed uninvited on two occasions, and rubbed his erect penis against her buttocks. She also claimed he harassed her in Parliament. Under cross-examination, Ms A said Hill had tried to “get me to kill myself” through pressure during a redundancy process and a threat to end her tenancy.
Hill described the suggestion that he encouraged suicide as “horrifying”, saying he would never push anyone to that point. He also denied that his resignation was linked to the tribunal claims, noting that the allegations had been on social media for over a year before he stepped down.
In a separate development, shadow communities minister Kate Hollern resigned on Wednesday after being accused of trying to dissuade Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen from offering support to Ms A. Hill said he was unaware of her resignation but confirmed he had confided in her about the allegations.
