Keir Sternmer, a new face when he became DPP in 2008 Later, an inquiry cleared him of any involvement with Jimmy Savile’s failure to be prosecuted.
Boris Johnson accuses Sir Keir Sternmer, the former director for public prosecutions of having used his time to prosecute journalists while failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile.
However, the Labour leader said Johnson is “debasing himself” by “going so low”. Repeating “a ridiculous slur promoted by right-wing trolls”.
A QC-led investigation exonerated Sir Keir. It found that he had not been involved in Savile’s decision to not put him in jail two years prior to his death.
Sir Keir served as the director of public prosecutors. 2008. – 2013.Detectives sought assistance from the CPS regarding four claims that Savile sexually assaulted young girls in 1970s.
October 2009.CPS’s reviewing lawyer for the case advised that no charges could be filed because none of the respondents were willing to cooperate with police actions.
Savile, who had abused over 500 children and women, was killed in 2011 without facing justice.
2012, after it became clear the Top of the Pops host had attacked and abused hundreds of children and women in hospitals, schools and while filming his BBC shows, an inquiry was carried out Alison Levitt QC, on Mr Starmer’s own orders.
2013 her report found that the decision was made by police and prosecutors locally, not Sir Keir, who was unaware of it. The CPS would also say there was ‘no reference to any involvement from the DPP in the decision-making within a report examining the case.’
However, there were some critics that Sir Keir as DPP should have been more alert to what was occurring in one of Britain’s most prominent cases of that period.
A friend of Johnson said last night that ministers were routinely criticised because they do not have any responsibility for the actions taken in their department.
A few others also pointed out Sir Keir’s apology issued in January 2013, following the Levitt review. ‘I would like to take the opportunity to apologise for the shortcomings in the part played by the CPS in these cases,’ he had said.
But a string of Tory MPs have called on their leader to return to the Commons to ‘withdraw’ the allegations against Sir Keir, branding it a ‘baseless personal slur’.
Boris Johnson was under fire in the Commons about Partygate when he accused Sir Keir Starmer of letting Jimmy Savile avoid justice. Mr Starmer looked furious as he heard the PM say it (right), claiming Tory MPs were similarly angry
Alison Levitt QC found that police treated the victims and the accounts they gave ‘with a degree of caution which was neither justified nor required’.
Savile also made veiled threats against officers if sexual abuse allegations against him did not ‘disappear’.
Detectives looking at allegations advised the CPS not to prosecute Savile, believing his explanation that it was all made up and the price of being famous.
Ms Levitt was also critical of the approach taken by the CPS’ reviewing lawyer, but did not suggest that Mr Starmer was personally involved in the decisions made.
The lawyer was also criticised for failing to properly build a case with the police or spot inconsistencies in their reports after interviewing Savile under caution and four of his victims.
As head of the CPS, Sir Keir later apologised, admitting the failure to prosecute Savile was a ‘watershed moment’ for the organisation. But avoided any admonishment in Ms Levitt’s report.
He said: ‘I would like to take the opportunity to apologise for the shortcomings in the part played by the CPS in these cases.
‘These were errors of judgement by experienced and committed police officers and a prosecuting lawyer acting in good faith and attempting to apply the correct principles. That makes the findings of Ms Levitt’s report more profound and calls for a more robust response.’
Lawyer turned Labour leader Sir Keir then left in 2013 to pursue a career in politics.
Sir Keir (pictured today) had no involvement in the decision not to prosecute Sir Jimmy Savile, and said the Prime Minister was using language by right wing trolls and conspiracy theorists
Tory MP and former chief whip Julian Smith has also put the boot in to his boss, urging him to go back to the Commons to withdraw it
Senior Tory Simon Hoare has also said that the PM should
Michael Gove said today that the Prime Minister has nothing to apologise about.
But despite this view, a flurry of Tory MPs have called on their party leader to withdraw his allegations. And victims of Jimmy Savile have argued the same.
Tory MP Julian Smith, the party’s former chief whip, turned on his party leader and tweeted: ‘The smear made against Keir Starmer relating to Jimmy Savile yesterday is wrong & cannot be defended. It should be withdrawn. False and baseless personal slurs are dangerous, corrode trust & can’t just be accepted as part of the cut & thrust of parliamentary debate’.
And today Simon Hoare, MP for North Dorset and Chairman of the Northern Ireland Select Committee, said: ‘The Jimmy Saville false allegation should be withdrawn’.
Mr Johnson was rebuked by the Commons Speaker yesterday over his discredited claim that Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile.
The Prime Minister faced calls from a Tory former chief whip to withdraw the ‘baseless personal slur’, while Sir Keir said it was Mr Johnson who was ‘debasing himself by going so low’.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he was ‘far from satisfied that the comments in question were appropriate’.
But Downing Street said Mr Johnson stood by his comments.
Mr Johnson made the comments on Monday when he lashed out at the Labour leader, a former director of public prosecutions, during Commons clashes about the report on alleged lockdown-busting parties in No 10.
Questioned about the comments on Tuesday, Sir Lindsay said ‘procedurally nothing disorderly occurred but such allegations should not be made lightly’.
He added: ‘While they may not have been disorderly, I am far from satisfied that the comments in question were appropriate on this occasion.
‘I want to see more compassionate, reasonable politics in this House and the sort of comment can only inflame opinions and generate disregard for this House.
‘I’ve got to say I want a nicer Parliament, the only way we can get a nicer Parliament is being more honourable in the debates we have.’
Tories demand Boris withdraws Jimmy Savile ‘slur’ at Keir Starmer as Michael Gove admits Labour leader ‘did the right thing’ on CPS failures – as PM insists he WON’T apologise despite slap on the wrists from Commons Speaker
Boris Johnson caused a storm in the Commons on Monday when he jibed that Keir Starmer ‘spent most of his time prosecuting journalists and failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile’ at the CPS
Boris Johnson today batted away calls to withdraw his Jimmy Savile ‘slur’ at Keir Starmer despite anger from Tories and the Speaker.
The PM caused a storm in the Commons on Monday when he jibed that the Labour leader had ‘spent most of his time prosecuting journalists and failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile’ when he was head of the CPS.
Sir Keir denounced the attack as a ‘ridiculous slur peddled by Right-wing trolls’ and claimed Mr Johnson had ‘debased’ himself.
But Mr Johnson has insisted: ‘As far as I’m aware, it’s fairly accurate.’
In a round of interviews this morning, Cabinet minister Michael Gove gave the premier limited support saying he did not need to apologise.
But he said he ‘respected’ Sir Keir’s position. ‘In a uniquely sensitive case Keir Starmer acknowledged that mistakes had been made by the organisation of which he was head. To his credit he was very clear about those mistakes,’ he told Sky News.
‘He brought in an independent lawyer to look at that. And I think that we should recognise that in doing that he did the right thing.’
Deputy PM Dominic Raab also seemed uncomfortable about the row yesterday, saying he could not ‘substantiate’ the swipe.
Senior Conservative MP Simon Hoare said today that ‘the Jimmy Savile false allegation should be withdrawn’.
In a round of interviews this morning, Cabinet minister Michael Gove gave the premier limited support saying he did not need to apologise
Yesterday former chief whip Julian Smith called on the PM to withdraw the ‘false and baseless’ attack.
‘The smear made against Keir Starmer relating to Jimmy Savile yesterday is wrong and cannot be defended,’ he said.
‘It should be withdrawn. False and baseless personal slurs are dangerous, corrode trust and can’t just be accepted as part of the cut and thrust of parliamentary debate.’
Sir Keir accused Mr Johnson of ‘going so low’ with the claim and accused him of repeating ‘a ridiculous slur peddled by right wing trolls’ who claimed he personally took the decision not to put Savile in the dock in 2009.
A 2013 QC-led inquiry found the decision was made by police and prosecutors locally and the now Labour leader was not personally to blame.
The CPS confirmed at the time there was ‘no reference to any involvement from the DPP in the decision-making within a report examining the case’.
But an ally of Mr Johnson last night said: ‘Ministers are routinely criticised for things in their departments that they are not personally responsible for.’
They also pointed to how Sir Keir issued an apology in January 2013 following a review. He had stated that he would take this opportunity to apologize for any shortcomings of the CPS’s role in these cases.
According to a Tory source, the Sun was told by a Tory source that Starmer ran the CPS when they chose not to indict Savile.
“As leader at that time of the organization, what steps did he take against those responsible?
However, victims of Savile called on Mr Johnson to retract his “flippant” attack against the Labour leader.
The women said they were left ‘furious’ by his comments in the House of Commons that ‘triggered all the flashbacks’.
LBC spoke to Miss A who was a Savile victim. She said that the PM should say it. That was what I felt furious about. I felt like he was using the thing as an insult for others’ purposes.
“It trigger all the flashbacks and the memories,” she said. You can’t imagine how distraught I felt. This was completely unnecessary.
Lawyers representing some victims claimed that they asked the PM for his comments to be withdrawn.
Richard Scorer from law firm Slater and Gordon was head of abuse and inquiries. He said that he echoed the general disgust expressed by the House of Commons at yesterday’s events, when Boris Johnson attempted to divert attention from the Sue Gray update.
“As an attorney who represented many victims of Savile, I can verify that the allegations against Sir Keir starmer are totally unfounded and not justified.
Sir Keir was more effective than any director of public prosecutions in advancing victims’ rights. Each decision is up to the DPP.
Under his direction, the Crown Prosecution Service performed much better.