Sir Michael Fallon was forced to resign after telling Andrea Leadsom ‘I’ve got a warm place for your cold hands’
Former Defence Secretary allegedly told the Commons Leader, who was complaining about cold hands, 'I know where you can put them to warm them up'
SHAMED Sir Michael Fallon was forced to quit after a Cabinet colleague accused him of lewd sexual comments.
He is said to have told Andrea Leadsom, who complained of cold hands: “I know where you can put them to warm them up”.
The former Defence Secretary was reported to No10 by the Commons Leader, who accused him of a string of offensive remarks.
Delivering a damning dossier to Downing Street two days ago, Ms Leadsom insisted he must go.
A source close to Sir Michael said: “He categorically denies saying something as appalling as he knows where she could warm her hands.”
Allies of Sir Michael Fallon were said to be “seething” with his colleague Andrea Leadsom after she forced him to quit.
The Sun has learned that Ms Leadsom was spurred into action on Tuesday after Downing Street refused to investigate Sir Michael for inappropriate behaviour.
We revealed the former Defence Secretary had to apologise to radio presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer for repeatedly touching her leg under a dinner table 15 years ago.
But No 10 ruled the matter closed and refused to refer him to the Cabinet Secretary for a formal investigation.
An incensed Ms Leadsom then demanded to see the PM’s Chief of Staff Gavin Barwell on Tuesday evening.
She accused Sir Michael of a string of inappropriate remarks when they were Treasury Select Committee members between 2010 and 2012. It was during one meeting that he is said to have crudely advised her where to put her cold hands.
He is also alleged to have made derogatory comments of a sexual nature about other MPs on the committee, as well as members of the public who had attended meetings.
Sir Michael, 65, was hauled in to see Theresa May on Wednesday after PMQs, and was asked if Ms Leadsom’s allegations were true.
The veteran minister vigorously denied making the hand-warming comment.
But he admitted remarks during committee meetings “might not have been appropriate” — even though he could not recall any specifically.
Mrs May then offered him the opportunity to resign — a more honourable departure than firing him — and he accepted it.
He issued a statement at 7.30pm saying his behaviour in the past had “fallen below the high standards” he asks of Britain’s troops.
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A source close to Sir Michael said last night: “He doesn’t remember what he is supposed to have said in the committee. But he doesn’t deny making comments that someone might have taken offence at.
“He may have said something that Andrea was offended by, but he categorically denies saying something as appalling as he knows where she could warm her hands. That is an appalling slur from Leadsom.”
Ms Leadsom, 54, was accused of only making the allegations to protect her own political career.
She was demoted from Environment Secretary to Commons Leader in June, and has been rumoured to be facing the chop in Mrs May’s next big reshuffle.
The figure close to Sir Michael insisted: “If you’re offended by something, why wait six years to say it?
“Is this her way of securing her political survival? Nobody’s going to dare to sack a whistleblower are they?”
Another Cabinet ally of Sir Michael added: “He made mistakes in the past, but what the f*** does Leadsom think she’s doing?
“We’re supposed to be a team. Does she want to bring down the whole f***ing Government?”
But as word of Ms Leadsom’s actions began to spread among senior Tory circles last night, one former minister backed her.
He told The Sun: “Michael is a very able man, but has a terrible flaw when it comes to his behaviour with women, and it’s been going on for years.
“He could not stay on in government. Andrea did us a service by ending this very swiftly.”
Former Defence Minister Anna Soubry insisted that new lurid allegations killed off Sir Michael’s career.
She said it should be “absolutely obvious to anybody” that he would only have quit on the basis of new information.
She added: “You do not step down in those circumstances with that record and that absolute honour and love he had for that job on the basis of one incident of a hand on a knee 15 years ago.”
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The new revelations emerged as pressure continued to mount on the Prime Minister yesterday to dismiss more alleged sex pest ministers. At least four suspected of serious wrongful behaviour are still believed to be in senior posts, according to Tory MPs.
Calls for more action were led by Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson, who urged the PM to “clean out the stables” on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
She said: “The dam has broken on this now, and these overwhelmingly male-dominated professions where the boy’s own locker-room culture has prevailed, and it’s all been a bit of a laugh, has got to stop.”
In another day of Westminster drama:
- IT was claimed Sir Michael was first reported to Tory whips for inappropriate behaviour four years ago.
- A FORMER Conservative aide was named by ministers for compiling the “dirty dossier” of the party’s MP.
- LABOUR’S new abuse complaints procedure was slammed as “shocking” by members and female MPs.
- IT emerged that two-thirds of complaints about MPs’ bad behaviour were rejected by bosses last year.
