London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Lord Watson apologises for promoting false sex abuse claims

Lord Watson apologises for promoting false sex abuse claims

Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson has apologised during his maiden speech in the House of Lords for his role in promoting false sex abuse claims.

Fantasist Carl Beech made claims there was a VIP paedophile ring operating in Westminster, which were eventually found to have no basis, and was jailed.

Lord Brittan was falsely accused of sex crimes by Beech and died in 2015 aged 75 before he was publicly cleared.

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest apologised to the former home secretary's widow.

The appointment of the ex-West Bromwich East MP to the upper chamber faced criticism over accusations he "destroyed" lives by championing claims made by Beech, known as "Nick".

A botched police inquiry into the allegations, which cost millions of pounds, saw dawn raids on the Brittans' home, among others.

In the Lords, Lord Watson, 55, apologised to Lady Brittan, the widow of Lord Brittan of Spennithorne, who served in Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government.

He told fellow peers: "The first area where I think consensus is always better than disagreement is police reform.

"I apologise unreservedly to Lady Brittan for the role that I played in the investigation of historic child sexual abuse.

"Her experiences led to several recommendations about how the police conduct themselves.

"I'm sorry and I owe it to her to work to achieve those aims in this House in the months and years ahead."


Lord Brittan, pictured with Lady Brittan, served in Margaret Thatcher's government

After the death of Lord Brittan, Lord Watson accused the former home secretary of "multiple child rape" and quoted Beech describing him as "as close to evil as a human being could get".

A review later found Lord Watson had put pressure on investigating officers, although he disputes the findings.

Beech, himself a convicted paedophile, was subsequently jailed for 18 years for fabricating a string of claims including rape, torture and murder.

Cabinet Office minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe welcomed Lord Watson's apology, adding that it was "rightly" made.

Several peers welcomed him to the House, including Liberal Democrat Lord Wallace of Saltaire, who said: "I'm glad to be able to welcome Lord Watson, after his three years leave of absence from Westminster, he's back."

However, he has not had a warm welcome from everyone in the chamber, most notably by Tory ex-chancellor Lord Lamont, who previously branded the appointment "an absolute disgrace" and a "stain" on the Lords.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
×