The Tory London mayoral contender who allegedly groped TV producer Daisy Goodwin has pulled out of the contest, only hours after No 10 described the accusation as “very serious”.
Daniel Korski continues to “categorically” deny Ms Goodwin’s claim that he fondled her breast a decade ago after a meeting in Downing Street – but announced he was withdrawing with a “heavy heart”.
Ms Goodwin said earlier on Wednesday that she filed a formal complaint against Mr Korski, claiming that she had “been contacted by other women with some very interesting stories”.
It came Downing Street has described the groping allegation against Tory mayoral hopeful as “very serious” and indicated Rishi Sunak would urge any further complainants to come forward.
Mr Korski later confirmed he had decided to pull out – citing “pressure on my family” and insisting that the allegation had become “a distraction from the race”.
In a statement Mr Korski said: “I categorically deny the allegation against me. Nothing was ever put to me formally ten years ago. Nor seven years ago when the allegation was alluded to. No investigation has ever taken place. I have been clear I would welcome and constructively participate in any investigation.”
“However, the pressure on my family because of this false and unproven allegation and the inability to get a hearing for my message of ‘The London Dream’ makes it impossible for my campaign to carry on,” he added.
Mr Korski said he was “proud of having run a positive campaign that championed new ideas” and regretted that the allegation had become a “distraction” for the Conservatives.
Ms Goodwin, who created ITV drama Victoria, accused Mr Korski of touching her breast a decade ago at the end of a meeting in Downing Street.
She said Mr Korski rested his feet on the edge of her chair, before “leaning back so that I could get a clear view of his crotch”. Ms Goodwin said Mr Korski stepped toward her and “suddenly put his hand on my breast” at the end of the meeting.
Mr Korski had “categorically” denied any wrongdoing, calling it a “baseless allegation from the past has resurfaced”.
Downing Street declined to say whether the PM believes Mr Korski is a suitable candidate or if he should suspend his campaign, but described the allegations as “very serious” which “should be handled in the proper way”.
Asked if the PM would encourage anyone with complaints against former staff members to come forward, his press secretary said: “Yes, of course.”
Ms Goodwin has said she has been contacted by other women with “some very interesting stories” that make her “feel entirely justified” about making the allegations against Mr Korski.
Asked if the PM would encourage anyone with complaints against former staff members to come forward, his press secretary said: “Yes, of course.”
Downing Street said it would not set out whether it would fall within the remit of the Cabinet Office of the Conservative Party to investigate the allegation.
Ms Goodwin confirmed she has submitted a complaint to the Cabinet Office, although she said it was “harder than trying to get a telephone engineer”, having posted a picture on Instagram showing an automatic reply to her email.
Mr Goodwin alleged that three other women had come to her to tell her they had “similar experiences” with Mr Korski after her allegation was published in The Times this week.
Speaking to Times Radio, Ms Goodwin said: “I didn’t know of anybody who had had an experience like that with Daniel Korski, until I wrote my piece. And when it was published, I was contacted by three women who’d had similar experiences. So I felt justified in having written the piece, because, as I suspected, I realised I was not the only woman.”
The Independent understands London minister Paul Scully would be prepared to stand in the race if Tory HQ reopened the shortlist.
Friends of the former front-runner said he is deeply “frustrated” having watched Mr Korski’s campaign “implode”. It was “never a career move” for Mr Scully, one said, “he knew it was going to be challenging but wanted to do the job”.
And a senior Tory MP told The Independent: “CCHQ must immediately go back to the drawing board and reopen the shortlist so those who were farcically overlooked the first time round can have a fair hearing.”