1 year ago
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Daniel Korski says he is still in the race to become the Conservative mayoral candidate for London
Aurelia Foster & PA Media
BBC News
TV producer Daisy Goodwin has made a formal complaint against Conservative London mayoral hopeful Daniel Korski.
On Monday, she told the Times he had groped her during a meeting at 10 Downing Street in 2013.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today on Wednesday, Ms Goodwin said she had not reported the matter at the time because of the attitudes of the day.
Mr Korski denies her allegations and says he is still in the race to become the Tory mayoral candidate.
Ms Goodwin said: "I didn't think to report it then because I felt, 'Well, this is part of the rough and tumble of daily life and I feel now when I speak out most people believe me."
She said she believed attitudes to sexual assault had "completely changed" in the decade since her encounter with Mr Korski.
Image source, Shutterstock
Image caption,Daisy Goodwin also spoke out about the alleged assault in 2017 but did not name anyone
The writer and TV producer also explained that she initially faced difficulty trying to make a formal complaint to the Cabinet Office on Tuesday, not being able to contact the office on the phone.
She said she had not, however, complained to the Conservative Party but said she felt "entirely justified" in naming Mr Korski due to his mayoral ambitions.
In her article in the Times, Ms Goodwin said that Mr Korski - then a special adviser at 10 Downing Street - put his hand on her breast.
She said that since the article's publication other women had contacted her with "interesting stories", but said she could not provide details for legal reasons.
Asked whether she was sure about the alleged assault, Ms Goodwin replied: "I'm really surprised you're asking me that.
"When something like this happens to you, you know it's happened to you because you were there, you felt it, you felt amazed, shocked, rather humiliated."
'She is wrong'
Mr Korksi's campaign team said he welcomed any investigation and would co-operate fully.
Speaking on Talk TV on Tuesday, Mr Korski said that "all I can say is that she is wrong". He agreed that a meeting had taken place but dismissed the assault allegation as "categorically" untrue.
Some Tory MP backers of Mr Korski have now paused support for his campaign.
One of them, children and families minister Claire Coutinho, said any complaint should be investigated "swiftly".
"At the same time, this is an allegation. He's roundly denied it," she told Sky News.
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