The MP who tried to gag the press
The Story
The Times
3.9 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 4 May 2022
⏱️ 38 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In 2018, the Sunday Times broke the story that then-serving Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke had been accused of rape by a former aide. Elphicke denied the allegation and sued for libel, and the paper spent the next four years in a legal battle, which has only just concluded.
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Transcript
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| 0:58.6 | In 2017, a hashtag on Twitter became a rallying cry for women all over the world. |
| 1:04.7 | It happened to me too. |
| 1:06.2 | Me too. |
| 1:07.2 | It happened to me too. |
| 1:08.8 | And it happened to me too. |
| 1:13.7 | That autumn, a spreadsheet shared online alleged that Parliament itself had not been immune |
| 1:19.0 | from sexual misconduct, far from it. |
| 1:22.6 | Mr Speaker, members on both sides of the house have been deeply concerned about allegations |
| 1:26.5 | of harassment and mistreatment here in Westminster. |
... |
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