UK PM refuses to back his deputy

British Prime Minister David Cameron has declined to support his deputy Nick Clegg’s handling of a sex scandal involving a senior member of the UK’s Liberal Democrat party.

Being asked whether he had “confidence” in how Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, had dealt with the scandal, the Prime Minister replied, “Obviously these are serious issues and serious matters and they need to be taken seriously.”

Cameron told reporters on Thursday in Latvia, where he was attending the Northern Future Forum, that the Liberal Democrats needed to “get to the bottom” of the “serious” claims against former party chief Chris Rennard.

Rennard has faced accusations of behaving inappropriately towards up to 12 women, some of whom were seeking political office with the Liberal Democrats.

On Wednesday, British Deputy Prime Minister admitted his party had made “serious mistakes” in failing to deal with complaints of sexual harassment against its former chief executive but insisted that he was personally unaware of specific allegations by female activists until they were broadcasted.

Scotland Yard has launched an investigation into claims of sexual harassment against Rennard, who stood down as the Liberal Democrat party’s chief executive in 2009.