‘Sleazy and disgraceful’

Tory politicians and Britain’s business elite have been linked to a sleazy charity dinner where female hostesses ordered to wear revealing outfits and black underwear were allegedly sexually harassed.

“I was groped several times, and I know there were numerous other hostesses who said the same thing had happened to them,” FT reporter Madison Marriage, who went undercover as a hostess at the event, told BBC Newsnight.

“Hands up skirts, hands on bums, hands on hips, hands on stomachs, hands going round your waist suddenly… We knew from women who have worked at it over the last decade that such things go on, which is why we wanted to go in there and see it for ourselves.”

Marriage said one hostess had alleged that a guest exposed his penis to her, while 19-year-old claimed a man in his seventies had asked her if she was a prostitute.

The 120 women were reportedly selected for the role by organisers on the basis of being “tall, thin and pretty”.

Children’s minister Nadhim Zahawi attended the dinner, held by the Presidents Club at the Dorchester Hotel in London last Thursday, while a meal with foreign secretary Boris Johnson – who didn’t attend – was auctioned to guests.

Zahawi, who was not implicated in any allegations, insisted he “didn’t stay long enough to comment” on the dinner.

Meanwhile Tory donor David Meller, who is the chair of the Presidents Club but attended in a personal capacity, was forced to resign from his role as non-executive director for the Department of Education. The club said it was “appalled” by the allegations and would investigate.

The event was attended by 360 senior figures from business, finance, politics and entertainment. The guest list including Top Shop chairman Phillip Green, Dragon’s Den investor Peter Jones and Ocado boss Tim Steiner.

During the charity auction, guests were offered lots for lap dances at a Soho strip club and plastic surgery to “add spice to your wife”.

Daily reality

Unite national officer for the not for profit sector, Siobhan Endean, said the “sleazy and disgraceful events” at the dinner would not come as a surprise to people working in the hospitality industry – where sexual harassment is a daily reality.

“The events at the Dorchester once again underline why it is imperative that the third party harassment provisions which were axed by the Conservatives from the Equality Act must be immediately reinstated,” Endean said.

“The third party provisions placed a legal duty on employers to protect employees from harassment by customers. Their axing has allowed employers to ignore this form of harassment and effectively gives customers a free pass to sexually harass hospitality workers.”

She added, “Unite also believes that the Charity Commission needs to launch an urgent investigation into the Presidents Club. Unite has members at some of the charities which have received grants from the Presidents Club and who are horrified by the circumstances through which the money was raised.”