Tom Watson: I barely know sex abuse uncle
Deputy Labour leader and West Bromwich MP Tom Watson has said he hardly knows his uncle who was convicted of child sex abuse.
It comes after he defended himself after he accused the late Lord Brittan of rape despite the fact police dropped the case without making a charge.
It has emerged that Mr Watson, who is leading a campaign to expose high-profile paedophiles, has an uncle who is a convicted child sex abuser.
The MP has never spoken publicly about his relation to Peter Halliwell, who was jailed for 27 months in March last year for indecent assault on a nine-year-old boy.
Mr Watson has now admitted he was aware of his uncle's conviction but said he 'barely knew' Halliwell whose brother is married to his mother Linda.
He said: "I barely know Peter Halliwell. His victim deserved justice and I'm glad he got it." The Labour deputy moved to state he was glad that justice was served in the case.
It comes after Mr Watson sparked controversy by claiming former peer Leon Brittan was guilty of 'multiple child rape' days after his death in January this year.
He had previously wrote to the Director of Public Prosecutions urging an investigation into an alleged rape of an 19-year-old girl by Lord Brittan in 1967 to be reopened. It has now emerged police never obtained enough evidence to make a charge in the matter prompting Mr Watson to apologise.
He said he was sorry for any distress caused to Leon Brittan's family who were grieving in the wake of his death.
Mr Watson added: "I had been told of multiple allegations about Leon Brittan and I had met some of the people making those allegations.
"I did not and could not know if they were true but I did believe their claims should be fully investigated."
