Lord Rennard set to take legal action over Lib Dem suspension
Lord Rennard has taken a step closer to starting legal action against the Lib Dems after claims that he sexually harassed female party members.
The peer had his party membership temporarily suspended after he refused to apologise over the claims. But he is expected to seek a court order within days to try and halt disciplinary proceedings against him.
Lib Dem sources have warned of "a blood bath, the like of which the party has not seen before".
The Lib Dems have suspended their former chief executive from the party for 14 weeks while it investigates whether he has brought it into disrepute by refusing to apologise for causing distress to a number of women.
The BBC understands Lord Rennard has instructed a senior QC to advise him on the lawfulness of the party's action in suspending him following allegations that he made unwanted sexual advances to several activists and touched them inappropriately.
The BBC News channel's chief political correspondent Norman Smith said the peer believed the party had not followed "due process" in its handling of his case
Sources, he added, have warned that legal action could lead "to a blood bath, the like of which the party has not seen before".
They suggest any court case would result in the disclosure of the original report into Lord Rennard's conduct and details about the complainants.
The party's internal investigation, led by senior barrister Alistair Webster QC, concluded the claims against Lord Rennard by four women could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt.
But it also said the evidence of the women who lodged complaints was "broadly credible" and urged the peer to apologise.
Lord Rennard has said he feels "regret" if he unintentionally "hurt" any women but added that he would not apologise for something he "had not done".
He has also expressed concerns that an apology would be an admission of guilt and make him liable to potential legal proceedings by his accusers.
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Profile: Lord Rennard
- This is a big thing in the UK given that Lord Rennard was involved heavily for the last 25 years with the Liberal Democrats and helped them win several election victories between 1989 and 2009.