Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson says she was 'quite dismayed' watching Prince Andrew's interview

17 November 2019, 11:55 | Updated: 17 November 2019, 12:03

The Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson said she thought Prince Andrew's interview was "clearly not" wise and that at times she felt uncomfortable watching it.

Referring to a BBC interview with Prince Andrew where the Royal explained his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein since the financier took his own life behind bars earlier this year.

The politician said the part she found hard to watch was the "victims in this affair are those young women and girls, some of whom are now much older, who had been sexually abused, trafficked by Epstein."

She said for somebody to be talking about that traumatic experience "without reaching out" to understand the victim's pain, she thought was "strange to see."

Mrs Swinson said one piece that really "troubled" her was when Prince Andrew "talked about the act of having sex as a positive act for a man."

She said she thought "do you not think it's a positive act for a woman?"

"Having sex is a positive act for both parties involved in it, whether you're a man or a woman, because if it's not a positive act, if it's not a positive choice, that's not sex, that's rape."

She said she found the Duke of York's comments on this "worrying."

The Lib Dem leader revealed she was "quite dismayed" while watching the interview.

Watch the whole exchange in the video at the top of the page.