Balance and Compassion in the Lord Rennard Affair

The Lord Rennard affair has the appearance of a rather bad play, part farce, part drama, part tragedy depending upon if and how you are involved. It is badly written, not very credible and the main dramatis personae increasingly are unlovable as the show develops, and for all these reasons it is easy to forget that behind the stereotypes are real people, all of whom deserve compassion. Compassion is lacking, so far, and so is balance. It is interesting to observe how quickly the (alleged) victims become villains and the villain becomes someone else: the different parts in this play are changing roles all the time, as the peer, centre of the drama and accused of inappropriate behaviour, reveals his great distress to the point of illness over the situation; as his accusers move from anonymously wanting a simple apology following unofficial complaints to a high profile publicity campaign purportedly on behalf of all women in the workplace including, it is said, the possibility of financial compensation; as Nick Clegg and his team move from claiming the moral high ground to admitting their handling of the affair was poor from the beginning; and as the Chorus, comprising Lib Dem peers and past leaders, wring their hands while taking sides sometimes unconvincingly. [caption id="attachment_2343" align="alignright" width="200"] Lord Rennard[/caption] It is a sorry story, but the drama is one of the Party’s own making by not addressing the complaints of sexual harassment properly when they were first made years ago nor more recently when they came to public light last year, by having unworkable policies and by conducting a secret investigation with an inflexible remit. These failings were compounded by a rigidity of judgment that made no allowance for discreet talks with all parties to achieve a solution which would satisfy honour and avoid the public humiliation which has resulted now. Meanwhile, many people have been hurt, far more than the 4 complainants – and I feel sorry for Lord Rennard and his family, for Nick Clegg who has put himself into a major personal crisis which could cost him his leadership, and for the Lib Dem members who see their party falling apart.  Compassion and balance have been lacking throughout this debacle, replaced by entrenched attitudes, adherence to “the rules” and public threats by one side against the other.  No compassion was shown, initially, to the women who complained, and none has been shown to Lord Rennard who, whatever he did or did not do, was responsible for the political success of the party and that of his accuser colleagues and whose distress brought him to the point of self-harming. Only now, at the point of no return, is consideration of arbitration being given – but it may be too late. Too much has been said, too much hurt has been inflicted, and too much damage has been done for this situation to be rectified easily. This play has some way to go, yet.  

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On a different note, my latest Spiritual Update, which talks about this time of change and how to manage it, can be accessed here.

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