Fury mounts as ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor urges House of Lords chief to block fresh bid to make Tom Watson a peer after former Labour deputy peddled false claims of VIP paedophile ring in Carl Beech scandal

• Former Labour MP Mr Watson, 55, peddled lies made by fantasist Carl Beech 
• Beech made false allegations about paedophile ring at the heart of Westminster
• Mr Watson ‘formed support group’ and ‘invited’ Beech to the House of Commons
• Harvey Proctor today again urged House of Lords to block a fresh peerage bid
• He also said the appointment would be a ‘stain’ on the House of Lords benches

Ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor has urged the House of Lords to block a fresh bid to make former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson a peer.

Mr Watson, 55, peddled lies and pressured Metropolitan Police officers investigating  false claims made by fantasist Carl Beech of a paedophile ring at the heart of Westminster.

Named Operation Midland, Met officers probing the bogus allegations carried out dawn raids at high-profile addresses including the homes of D-Day hero Lord Bramall, Lord Brittan and Mr Proctor.

Mr Beech had claimed he and other boys were raped and tortured in the 1970s and 1980s and that one young boy was even murdered by members of a VIP paedophile ring. 

He is now serving an 18-year prison sentence for 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and one count of fraud.

The former Labour deputy ‘formed a support group’ and ‘invited’ Beech to the House of Commons following the allegations. 

A report into the Met’s handling of the case carried out by retired High Court Judge, Sir Richard Henriques later found that Mr Watson ‘raised in Parliament suggestions that a paedophile ring was operating in the heart of Westminster’ on October 24, 2012. 

The report added that Mr Watson’s interest in the operation also ‘created further pressure upon MPS officers’.

Mr Proctor today re-shared a letter written in January 2020, when Mr Watson was nominated for a peerage after reports emerged that the former deputy Labour leader has been nominated for a peerage by Keir Starmer, according to The Times.

Sharing the letter in a tweet, Mr Proctor said: ‘Nothing has changed since 2020 when Watson’s peerage was rejected due to his meddling in Operation Midland.

‘May I remind you all of my letter to Lord Bew, Chair of the House of Lords Appointments Commission, on 27th January 2020 when Tom Watson was nominated by Jeremy Corbyn.’

He also said the appointment would be a ‘stain’ on the House of Lords benches.

Ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor today reshared a letter written in January 2020, when Mr Watson was first nominated for a peerage

Former deputy leader of the Labour Party Tom Watson ([pictured attending Glastonbury Festival in June 2019) peddled lies around Operation Midland

Westminster paedophile accuser Carl Beech was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court after being convicted in 2016 of 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and one of fraud

In a series of tweets today, he continued: ‘Again, Sir Keir Starmer showing a distinct lack of judgement. 

‘From his “believe the victim policy” when he was Director of Public Prosecutions & which he actively refuses to speak about. To nominating Tom Watson for a peerage. Neither are fit for public office!’

His earlier letter added: ‘May I appeal to the House of Lords Appointments Commission that you should decline this appointment. 

‘Tom Watson did his upmost to denigrate the reputation of a former Home Secretary and distinguished member of the House of Lords, the late Leon Brittan, Baron Brittan of Spennithorne, PC, QC, DL. during his life and death within Metropolitan Police investigations – Operation Vincente and Operation Midland. 

‘He did the same to the late Field Marshal Edwin Noel Westby Bramall, Baron Bramall KG, GCB, OBE, MC, JP, DL. Within Operation Midland, Tom Watson formed a support group for Carl Beech, the fraudster, pedophile and perverter of the course of justice, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison at Newcastle Crown Court in July 2019. He also invited Beech to the House of Commons. 

‘He placed considerable pressure on the MPS to pursue Beech’s allegations against a dozen or so individuals, including myself, who had their reputations trashed and, in my case, their home and employment lost.

The letter continued: ‘Beech was proved to be a fantasist and to have lied in every respect. Watson has not even apologised unreservedly for his role in supporting Beech.

I set out below an article on Mr Tom Watson I wrote and which sets out my position more fully. It would be an appalling misjudgement to ennoble Mr Watson at this time, if at all. 

‘May I ask your Committee to act wisely and decline to accept this nomination, not in any party political consideration, but as a matter of justice and as not being in the national interest.’

It comes as London Mayor Sadiq Khan has faced calls to ‘consider his position’ after a report found that he ‘pressured’ Dame Cressida Dick to break the law during her time as Met boss.

A letter written by former Tory MP Harvey Proctor to the 

The report by the former chief inspector of constabulary, Sir Thomas Winsor, has cast fresh light on the bitter feud between the pair during the Met chief’s last months in office, when Mr Khan once warned her ‘you’re in last chance saloon’.

 Sir Tom found Dame Cressida ‘felt intimidated’ following an ultimatum from Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. 

Her decision to resign came after criticism from the mayor following a series of scandals, including the Operation Midland scandal. She officially left in April.

Scotland Yard was heavily criticised in an independent review of the case by former High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques. His findings recommended that ‘offences of attempting to pervert the course of justice be considered’ against the two complainants, and this should be carried out by another police force.

In September 2019, Dame Cressida’s role in setting up the shambolic probe into alleged VIP child sex abuse and murder was revealed, but she declines to answer questions.

Two years later, Lady Brittan condemns the culture of ‘cover up and flick away’ in the Met and the lack of a moral compass among senior officers.

The same month a freedom of information request revealed an extraordinary spin campaign to ensure Dame Cressida was not ‘pulled into’ the scandal over the Carl Beech debacle.

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