David Walliams has been suspended as a Labour Party member this afternoon, shortly after he was accused of sexual misconduct.
asserted
he → suspend → misconduct
The Daily Mail understands that the comedian was swiftly booted out of the party, following the newly published allegations about his conduct.
asserted
comedian → understand → conduct
Walliams was today unmasked as the celebrity who sought an injunction to secure anonymity following accusations that he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old and preyed on multiple teenage girls.
asserted
he → unmask → girls
He has often spoken out in support of Labour, including backing Andy Burnham in his 2015 attempt to secure the party leadership.
asserted
He → speak → leadership
Taking to X in July 2015, he posted: 'I first met @andyburnhammp 10 years ago & I was so impressed by him, I told him then that he would be #Labour Leader one day.
asserted
he → take → him
Earlier today Mr Burnham's official spokesman told journalists: 'They are clearly deeply troubling allegations and the Government will doubtless respond to them in the course of the day.'
The pair met as supporters of the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young.
asserted
pair → tell → Young
At the time, Mr Burnham said: 'I'm a big fan of David and feel honoured to have his support for my campaign to put Labour back in touch with millions of disillusioned voters.'
asserted
I → say → voters
David Walliams's tweet in support of Andy Burnham's 2015 leadership campaign
Mr Walliams also posted a photo of him with top Labour MP Jess Phillips, branding her 'my hero'
asserted
Walliams → post → her
Mr Walliams dressed as one of his characters from Little Britain, with former Labour Chancellor Alistair Darling at his annual Christmas party in No11 Downing Street
In 2019, Mr Walliams posted a photo of him with top Labour MP Jess Phillips, whom he described as his 'hero', adding she 'should be Prime Minister'.
asserted
she → dress → hero
While Labour was unable to say how long Mr Walliams has been a member of the party, interviews from 2010 saw him describing himself as 'a great fan of Tony Blair', claiming that the former premier 'sent me a letter before I swam the Channel to wish me luck'.
asserted
I → say → luck
According to 2005 reports, Mr Walliams and his Little Britain comedy partner Matt Lucas turned Mr Blair down for a cameo in the hit BBC comedy over concerns it would have left them open to accusations of political bias.
uncertain
it → accord → bias
Mr Walliams' links to Labour also include his attendance at Reigate Grammar School, Sir Keir Starmer's alma mater, though he clarified in an appearance on The One Show last year that they did not meet or overlap as pupils.
asserted
they → include → pupils
While the comedian's politics have consistently supported the Labour Party, Mr Walliams received an approving message from David Cameron in 2016, when he came out to support the Remain side of the EU referendum.
asserted
he → support → referendum
Mr Cameron said it was 'great to see David Walliams is voting Remain', alongside a slew of other celebrity endorsements for his side of the campaign.
asserted
Walliams → say → campaign
The enormously successful children's author also teamed up with the then-Tory education secretary, Nicky Morgan, to announce plans to make Britain's youngsters 'the most literate in Europe'.
asserted
youngsters → team → Europe
Labour's suspension of Mr Walliams's membership came as Labour attempted to distance itself from Russell Brand, who played a pivotal role in the party's 2015 General Election campaign.
asserted
who → come → campaign
Education Secretary Lucy Powell this morning sparked backlash after insisting there were no warning signs about Mr Brand before his notorious 2015 interview with the party's then-leader.
asserted
Powell → spark → leader
She admitted she 'regrets' helping to set up the publicity stunt, but then argued there was no way of vetting the comedian because the 'social media age' had not happened.
asserted
age → admit → comedian
By the time the interview took place, Brand had already lost his BBC Radio 2 show for leaving a series of lewd messages on actor Andrew Sachs's answerphone about a romantic liaison with his granddaughter.
asserted
Brand → take → granddaughter
Asked about her role in setting up the interview, Ms Powell said: 'Look, we were in very different times.
asserted
we → ask → times
We weren't in the social media age at the time, so where you could maybe search things up and see allegations or things about somebody at the time.
uncertain
you → search → time
'And, as I say, if there was any suggestion at all, we were dealing with someone who was a known sexual predator at the time then, of course, no one would have done that.
asserted
one → say → that
'But as I say, he was a well-known public figure.
asserted
he → say → ?
Lots of people, from Hollywood to the BBC to many others, gave this person a very, very powerful platform.
asserted
Lots → give → platform
We didn't know at the time and unfortunately, maybe had people come forward or felt able to… it was a different era.'
asserted
it → know → time
Mrs Powell's Tory opposite, Laura Trott, this morning said that Labour's claim they 'didn't know' about Mr Brand's behaviour 'simply doesn't wash'.
uncertain
they → say → behaviour
The Aporia
.jpg?trim=50,0,50,0&auto=webp&quality=75&width=1200)
