Corbyn Aide Accused Of Breaching MP's Privacy

Jeremy Corbyn is embroiled in a row over an alleged "breach of privacy" after an aide entered a former shadow cabinet minister's office without permission.

Seema Malhotra has written to the Speaker to complain of a "breach of parliamentary privilege" along with "aggressive and intimidating" behaviour from Mr Corbyn's office manager Karie Murphy.

It appears that Ms Murphy tried to use a key card to gain access to the room on 15 July, while Ms Malhotra was in her constituency.

This attempt failed, but it seems that later on the same day a member of shadow chancellor John McDonnell's staff was able to access the room with a different key card.

Ms Malhotra, former shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said: "The reason why we're so concerned is because this was done without our knowledge, without our permission.

"We have no idea who went into the office, we have no idea why they went into the office. Those are questions that are quite fundamental and it matters also not just for privacy and parliamentary privilege but for the security and safety of our staff."

Since the police search of MP Damian Green's office in 2008, it has been accepted that only a search warrant can justify an entry of a parliamentary office without the wishes of an MP.

Ms Malhotra investigated whether people had been accessing her office after a member of Mr McDonnell's staff, accompanied by someone else, walked in on one of her staff members one evening a few days earlier, apparently believing the room to be empty.

She left after suggesting she was "just being nosey".

Mr McDonnell defended the member of staff from his office, saying there had been a simple misunderstanding.

Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, he said: "My office manager...who has a key to all our rooms, went along, saw boxes outside her (Ms Malhotra's) office, thought she'd moved, knocked on the door, never heard anything, went in.

"Then (she) went back the next morning, did the same thing. Members of Seema's staff were there, she apologised and that was it.

"I've got a member of staff...she's now worried she's going to lose her job and face prosecution because it's been described as a break-in. That's just so distressing - it's unacceptable."

Appearing on Sky News' Murnaghan programme, Labour leadership candidate Owen Smith refused to be drawn on the latest controversy to engulf the party and said it was for Ms Malhotra "to talk about".

Ms Malhotra ordered a security check on whether the room had been accessed and on Thursday discovered the identity of the passholders who had tried to get in - one of them being Mr Corbyn's aide.

The MP for Feltham and Heston's office is in the same corridor as the leader's and the shadow chancellor's.

Having resigned from her post the day after the EU referendum result she applied immediately to be moved.

Office staff also allege that Ms Murphy was "aggressive and intimidating" and would "walk in without knocking".

She is also alleged to have referred to the female staff in a "patronising" manner as "girls", telling them "you really shouldn't be here".

A spokesperson for Mr Corbyn said: "The accusation that Karie intimidated anyone is untrue.

"As an office manager on the Leader of the Opposition's floor Karie has a key to open all offices.

"She accessed the office in question to confirm when it would be vacated.

"It is a month since Seema Malhotra resigned as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, and the office is intended for the person holding that position."

Ms Malhotra's staff say that Mr Corbyn's team knew that they were still waiting to be relocated by the whips' office and had offered to swap offices with the new shadow minister, but this had been turned down.

Another parliamentary staff member told Sky News: "No individual employed by an MP has the right to enter another MP's office without authorisation.

"They are in breach of house rules. While a certain office may equate to certain roles, an MP retains their office until house authorities facilitate a move elsewhere."

A spokesperson for the Speaker said he would consider and respond to Ms Malhotra's letter.