Lib Dem member, 57, arrested after woman groped at conference party

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 17: Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey delivers his keynote speech on the fourth day of the Liberal Democrat autumn conference on September 17, 2024 in Brighton, England. The Liberal Democrats increased their MP headcount from 15 to 72 in the recent general election, a record result for the party. This makes them the third-largest party in the UK Parliament. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
This year’s Lib Dem annual conference has been held in Brighton (Picture: Carl Court/Getty Images)

A man has been arrested and suspended from the Liberal Democrats after a woman was groped during an event at the party’s annual conference.

The 57-year-old allegedly groped a woman, thought to be aged in her 20s, shortly after midnight on Tuesday at the Lib Dem ‘glee club’ event’.

It happened at The Grand Hotel in Brighton, which is hosting the party’s three-day conference and has seen party leader Ed Davey take part in yet more attention-grabbing stunts.

A spokesperson for the party confirmed the suspect was a member, and his membership has since been suspended while police investigate, The Sun reports.

A Lib Dem spokesperson said: ‘We are horrified this has happened, we assisted the police in identifying and arresting the suspect and have suspended him from the party.’

A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: ‘We have arrested a 57-year-old man from Bristol on suspicion of sexual assault by touching in relation to an incident which took place at The Grand Hotel, Kings Road, Brighton at around midnight on Tuesday.

‘He remains in custody at this time.’

Late-night glee club is a traditional part of the Lib Dem autumn conference, which sees members sing along to sweary political songs with sentiments including ‘b******s to Brexit’.

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