Labour granted conference pass to former Tory MP charged with sexual assault

The Labour Party granted a conference pass to a former Conservative MP who has been charged with sexually assaulting a man at a London pub. Ben Howlett, 38, represented the Tories parliament from 2015 to 2017, and has since worked in policy development.

Mr Howlett was spotted hobnobbing with senior Labour figures on Saturday and Sunday, including at drinks receptions. He is set to stand trial in October next year, after being charged with the allegations in April. Despite being charged, he enjoyed a sit-down meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer in June to discuss AI.

The Express understands that after reporting his attendance to the Labour Party, Mr Howlett's pass has been revoked.

However the party did not offer any explanation for the granting of the pass or it's later revocation.

12 weeks ago, after he had been charged, Mr Howlett posted an image of him with Keir Starmer in Wales, saying he was "pleased to sit down with the Prime Minister... to discuss ways in which the AI economy in the UK can become world leading."

Mr Howlett was previously quizzed by the police over a separate allegation of sexual assault in November 2016, but the CPS said it was dropping the matter a year later due to not meeting the evidential threshold.

His charging in April this year relates to an alleged incident at a pub in Battersea, South London, in 2021.

Mr Howlett, who lives in Greenwich, represented the Bath constituency from 2015 to 2017, before losing his seat in Theresa May's botched general election.

A Met Police spokesman said: "On Wednesday, 18 August 2021 an allegation of sexual assault was reported to police.

They added that the alleged victim says he "had been assaulted by a man".

"The incident is alleged to have occurred in a pub on Nine Elms Lane, SW11", said the force, before adding: "The suspect attended a voluntary interview during the course of the investigation.

"On Thursday, 24 April he was charged as above.

"The victim continues to be supported by specialist officers."

Court records show that Mr Howlett did not enter a plea to the sexual assault charge at his first court hearing.

It alleges that he "intentionally touched a man aged 16 or over and that touching was sexual when he did not consent and you did not reasonably believe that he was consenting."

Mr Howlett was approached for comment.