Clegg 'knew about Lord Rennard's apology weeks ago'

Nick Clegg saw Lord Rennard's apology to four women weeks ago, but it was not released as the former Lib Dem chief executive did not want to damage the party in the run-up to last week's elections, a friend of the peer has claimed.

Lord Carlile told BBC Radio 4's The World At One: "Lord Rennard was absolutely very concerned personally not to do any possible damage to the party in the run-up to last week's local and European elections.

"So although this apology was seen for example by the party leader [Mr Clegg] weeks ago now it was held back until the elections were over."

Asked if Mr Clegg told Lord Rennard to hold the apology back, Lord Carlile replied, "No, no, no, absolutely not. Chris Rennard went absolutely out of his way to ensure and try and make it absolutely clear that nothing further should happen in this case until after the elections."

By Carl Dinnen: Political Correspondent

The Lord Rennard situation is tricky for the Liberal Democrat leader - to a certain extent there are party processes going on which takes this out of his hands.

Lord Rennard is appealing against the decision to suspend him for not apologising, while the women are appealing against the independent report that found Lord Rennard hadn't actually breached party rules.

Nick Clegg says the party disciplinary process has to take its course, but it is a very difficult week for him.

There are senior figures who want Lord Rennard reinstated and others who think Nick Clegg should be standing down due to recent election results.

Three of the four women who accused former Lib Dem chief executive Lord Rennard of harassment have called for the peer to be "kicked out" of the party.

Bridget Harris, a Lib Dem activist, has welcomed Lord Rennard's apology, but said his position within the Liberal Democrats was untenable.

"The real question here is, 'Should the Lib Dems accept him back on the benches in the House of Lords?' And I don't think the answer to that is yes", Ms Harris told BBC News.

Another activist who made the claims, Susan Gaszczak, said, "We really have got to draw a line under this. The only way to do that is actually to say, 'Lord Rennard, it's time to go.'"

A third woman, former Welsh Assembly candidate Alison Goldsworthy, told Channel 4 News the apology was a start, but stressed she thought Lord Rennard should be expelled from the Lib Dems.

One of the four female Lib Dem activists who accused Lord Rennard of harassment has said she has mixed feelings after receiving a written apology from the peer.

Former Welsh assembly candidate Alison Goldsworthy told Channel 4 News:

Ms Goldsworthy said "the fact that Chris Rennard has now accepted that his behaviour was untoward" meant Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg should expel him from the party.

The Liberal Democrats have confirmed appeals from both sides are ongoing following the investigation into the harassment claims against Lord Rennard.

A statement issued in response to reports of the peer's written apology said:

Read: Lord Rennard apologises to Lib Dem activists

Former Liberal Democrat chief executive Lord Rennard has issued a written apology to four party activists who accused him of harassing them.

The peer said "he may well have encroached upon personal space" and added he would like to "apologise sincerely for any such intrusion," which he said "would have been inadvertent".

Lord Rennard wrote that he was issuing the apology after receiving the report by Alistair Webster QC, who conducted an independent investigation into the allegations and the party's handling of them.

Mr Webster found no evidence to act against Lord Rennard but recommended he consider apologising.

A statement issued by his lawyer said: "Lord Rennard wishes to achieve closure of the contentious issues that have been in the public domain for the last 14 months by expressing his apologies to Susan Gaszczak, Alison Goldsworthy, Bridget Harris and Alison Smith."