Your Opinions & Comments On:Minister: Im sorry for texts to girl, 24 »

A Government Ministers career was hanging in the balance last night after he admitted bombarding a young female aide with suggestive phone messages. Ivan Lewis, a 41-year-old Health Minister, issued a statement apologising for sending dozens of mobile phone text messages to Susie Mason, a 24-year-old assistant who worked in his private office in Whitehall. After complaining to her bosses, Ms Mason was moved to a different job before resigning from the Civil Service to join an accountancy firm. He was obviously attracted to Susie, but his behaviour went well beyond acceptable office boundaries, a Whitehall source said.
It wasnt just one or two messages - there were dozens, and the content was over-familiar. This must have spooked her enormously. It is understood the incident was reported to officials at the Cabinet Office at the time but no action was taken against Mr Lewis. A Department of Health spokesman confirmed last night: In 2007 a member of staff in the private office of Ivan Lewis informed her managers that she was unhappy with the nature of her working relationship with the Minister. The situation was handled professionally and sensitively in full accordance with the employees wishes. She raised no formal complaint against the Minister and all the actions to resolve the matter were agreed with her. It was in that context that the decision was taken at the time not to pursue the matter further. At her request she left the Ministers office and was given another job in the department. She was a hard-working, extremely competent employee and we were sad to see her subsequently leave the department. The Minister in question apologises unreservedly.

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