Fallon 'Does Not Blame Me For Resignation' Julia Hartley-Brewer Says

Former Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon, has told Julia Hartley-Brewer he does not blame her for his resignation, the journalist has said.

The Tory heavyweight stepped down after it emerged he had repeatedly touched her on the knee during a dinner.

When Sir Michael wrote to Prime Minister Theresa May to say he could not continue in his post, he said his past behaviour had "fallen below the high standards required".

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Ms Hartley-Brewer said it appeared claims subsequent to hers "may have been the final nail in his coffin".

The journalist said the chain of events had been set off "completely by accident" when she told what she thought was an "amusing story".

"Since his resignation, I have exchanged text messages with Sir Michael in which he made it abundantly clear that he does not blame me for his resignation."

Ms Hartley-Brewer said she had threatened to "punch an MP in the face for repeatedly putting his hand on my knee" at the 2002 Tory party conference, but she had told the tale "without malice aforethought".

Voicing concern over the current furore over sleaze in Westminster, she said it risks "returning to a puritanical age where every interaction between any male politician and Any Woman He Has Ever Met is now the subject of righteous investigation".

The allegations include unwanted advances, harassment and assaults and a list of alleged offenders has emerged, although the veracity of a number of the claims has been questioned.

Ms Hartley-Brewer said Westminster was in the grip of a "media witchhunt" that risked creating a "sterile world, where men and women never speak or touch in the workplace".

"That's not the world most of us want to live in," she said.