Liberal Democrat peer Chris Rennard The party has been suspended amid a new investigation into allegations of sexual harassment.
The party said it had been advised that the 2013 investigation into allegations made by four women against Lord Rennard was “flawed in a number of respects”.
Lib Dem leader, Ed DaveyRennard, 65, should not be a member of the House of Lords, the party added.
In response, Rennard, a former party chief executive who was given a life peerage in 1999, pointed to a series of investigations by police and prosecutors that failed to substantiate the allegations against him.
Sorry if he “accidentally invaded” someone’s “personal space”.
Three women involved in the original claim welcomed the move as the party’s “first signs of change”.
A joint statement was issued by former deputy party chair Alison Goldsworthy, academic Alison Smith and former adviser to Nick Clegg Bridget Harris following the latest developments.
They said: “We decided to speak up in 2013 to ensure that future generations of women can safely participate in politics.
“We did not expect a fair trial to take this long and hope that further proceedings will finally put the matter to rest.”
A fourth complainant, former councilor Susan Gasczak, resigned from the party in 2014 after the original investigation.
At the time she said she “couldn’t be a member of a party where the then chief executive found it acceptable to invite me to his hotel room to advance my political career”.
A Lib Dem spokesman said: “Rennard is a Liberal Democrat whip in the House of Lords and his party membership has been suspended and the party is conducting a new investigation into the allegations.
“The party has now received legal advice that the 2013 investigation into the allegations against Rennard was flawed in a number of respects.
“Ed Davey has made it clear that he believes Rennard should not be a member of the House of Lords and should facilitate the expulsion of peers from the Lords for serious misconduct.”
A review by senior counsel Alistair Webster KC in 2013 concluded that the case against Rennard was less than 50% likely to be proved beyond reasonable doubt.
But in a statement summarizing its findings, it said there was “broadly credible” evidence of “behaviour that violated the personal space and autonomy of the complainants”.
Reacting to the latest suspension, Rennard said: “All allegations against me were investigated by the Metropolitan Police Service in 2013, in what one of the complainants acknowledged was a ‘thorough and professional investigation’.
“After interviewing all concerned and considering any evidence they decided not to pass the file to the Crown Prosecution Service and took no further action.
“Following extensive appeals for any complaints and any evidence against me, an independent solicitor, Alistair Webster KC, undertook a thorough investigation into all allegations.
“In his report submitted to the party in December 2013, he concluded that there was insufficient evidence to warrant a disciplinary hearing.
“The report submitted by him does not contain the word ‘trustworthy’. His report was approved by the relevant party body in January 2014.
“A further inquiry was conducted by another independent counsel into whether there was any evidence of any disciplinary action against me and concluded that there was not.
“This resolution was passed by the party in August 2014 when all disciplinary proceedings against me were over.”
