Daniel Korski steps down as JLC vice-president
Communal organisation confirm Korski offered his resignation after historic groping claims were made against him, which he denies, during bid to become Tory London mayoral candidate
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Former Conservative Party London mayoral hopeful Daniel Korski has stepped down as a vice president at the Jewish Leadership Council.
The decision comes after the tech entrepreneur dropped out of the race to become Mayor of London following claims he had groped a woman, which he denies.
In a statement, the JLC confirmed:”Daniel Korski offered his resignation as a JLC vice president and this was accepted.
“JLC vice presidents are honorary positions, acting in an unpaid advisory role, and without a vote.”
Korski had been made a JLC vice president in June 2019, a role with the communal organisation that comes with a five year long term.
But the co-founder of PUBLIC, a venture capital firm that backs technology, has now been removed from the list of vice-presidents on the JLC website, who continue to include Baroness Ros Altmann, Luciana Berger, Sir Victor Blank and the MP Robert Halfon.
The son of Polish Jewish refugees, who were expelled from the east European country in the late 1960s, Korski had launched his bid to become London mayor saying the capital “has allowed me and so many people before me, including so many Jews, to live the London Dream. To get a house, a job and to build success in our community.”
He added:”The Jewish community knows better than many others that too often our own streets can be unsafe to just walk on and be who you are.”
Korski, who became favourite to win the race to be the Tory candidate to take on Sadiq Khan next May, had also said:”I am proud of our community and have worked through the JLC and Jewish Museum to strengthen it. ”
Last week a woman who claimed she was groped by Korski when he worked at Downing Street has said she was considering going to the police after the Cabinet Office told her it would not investigate her allegations.
Daisy Goodwin, a novelist and TV producer, also criticised the response of Rishi Sunak, who had said through a spokesperson that he would encourage anyone with complaints against former staff members to come forward.
She said: “Who are they supposed to come forward to? And what will happen? I don’t think there is really a failsafe way for women to come forward about the behaviour of predatory men in Westminster and Whitehall at the moment.”
Korski has said he still “categorically” denied the claim, he had decided, “with a heavy heart”, to step down from the race to be the mayoral candidate as “the news agenda is becoming a distraction from the race and the Conservative party”.
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