'Mad, absurd': Journalist doubts Michael Fallon resigned over touching her knee

Journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer says she finds it hard to believe British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon resigned over touching her knee 15 years ago.

A screengrab of Julia Hartley-Brewer from the BBC's Question Time.

A screengrab of Julia Hartley-Brewer from the BBC's Question Time. Source: BBC, Twitter

British journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer says she does not think Sir Michael Fallon's recent resignation is because he touched her knee.

"I doubt very much it's because of my knee and if it is I think that's really mad and absurd and crazy," she told Sky News.

The Talk Radio presenter told the broadcaster: "I doubt very much that we require all our members of the military to never have touched a lady's knee, so I don't think that I am the cause of the defence secretary resigning."

Sir Michael apologised this week for putting his hand on the knee of Hartley-Brewer in 2002 in a revelation that has become known as '#kneegate'.
But Hartley-Brewer has said she did not view it as sexual harassment.

"I have spoken previously about a Cabinet minister who repeatedly put his hand on my knee during a party conference dinner," she said in a statement issued earlier in the week.

"I calmly and politely explained to him that, if he did it again I would 'punch him in the face'. He withdrew his hand and that was the end of the matter.

"I have had no issues since with the man in question and do not regard the incident as anything but mildly amusing."
But she said any sexual harassment or rape must be tackled. "Stamp on it, absolutely right now," Hartley-Brewer said.

On Wednesday, Sir Michael became the first politician to step down in a developing sexual harassment scandal at Westminster.

His name had appeared on an unverified list of allegations against MPs that had surfaced in recent days.

"Many of these have been false but I accept that in the past I have fallen below the high standards that we require of the armed forces that I have the honour to represent," Sir Michael wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Theresa May.

"I have reflected on my position and I am therefore resigning as Defence Secretary," he said, adding that he would continue as a member of parliament.

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By Andrea Booth



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