Lichfield’s MP has backed the Prime Minister’s suggestion that Sir Keir Starmer can be blamed for the failure to prosecute Jimmy Savile – despite a fact-checking team saying such claims were “baseless”.
Boris Johnson was widely criticised after making the remark in the House of Commons during a debate into Downing Street parties earlier this week.
Conservative MP Julian Smith has since called on the Prime Minister to withdraw his comments, while Tory peer Sayeeda Warsi said “false and baseless smears against Keir cannot be defended”.
But Michael Fabricant MP said:
“If Boris can be blamed for events in Number 10 when he was not there because he was the boss, Starmer can be blamed for the non-prosecution of Jimmy Savile when he was the boss as Director of Public Prosecutions.”
Michael Fabricant
“The suggestion of a link is baseless”
A fact-checking team from the Reuters news agency has previously pointed out that while the Labour leader was head of the CPS in 2009 when the decision was made not prosecute Savile, they found no direct connection between the two points.
“The suggestion of a link between the handling of the cases and Starmer is baseless.
“He was not the reviewing lawyer in charge of probing the Savilee allegations.
“The CPS told Reuters that there is no reference to any involvement from the Director of Public Prosecutions in the decision-making within a report examining the case.”
Reuters Fact Check report
The Full Fact organisation has also said that while the Labour leader was head of the CPS at the time he was “not the reviewing lawyer in the case”.
The comments made by the Prime Minister have also drawn criticism from Savile’s victims.
Richard Scorer, a lawyer who represented a number of those targeted by the disgraced broadcaster, said:
“Victims of Savile I represented and have spoken with are all disgusted by Boris Johnson’s comments.
“They’ve told me they want him to withdraw them and apologise. I urge Johnson to do that right away.
“Weaponising their suffering to get out of a political hole is disgraceful.”
Richard Scorer
