LONDON (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Deputy chief whip of the Conservatives resigned after he admitted to having drunkenly groped two men at a private club. He confessed saying that he had embarrassed himself and other people.
Chris Pincher informed Boris Johnson in a letter that he was stepping down due to excessive drinking. He did not, however, address the claims that he was brought before the whips by Conservative MPs who had seen his conduct towards two men at the Piccadilly Carlton Club.
It is the most recent in a string of complaints against Conservative MPs for sexual misconduct and will increase pressure on the prime minister to clean up Westminster’s culture. Additionally, Pincher has resigned from the whips’ office twice in response to accusations made against him, calling into question Johnson’s decision to promote him to a position overseeing MP discipline and pastoral matters.
In his letter to the prime minister, Pincher said: “Last night I drank far too much. I’ve embarrassed myself and other people which is the last thing I want to do and for that I apologise to you and to those concerned.
“I think the right thing to do in the circumstances is for me to resign as deputy chief whip. I owe it to you and the people I’ve caused upset to, to do this.”
“I want to assure you that you will continue to have my full support from the back benches … It has been the honour of my life to have served in Her Majesty’s Government.” Pincher, however, did not acknowledge the complaints regarding his sexual conduct.
The claims against him were not addressed by the government, but it is not believed that his decision to resign will result in him losing the support of the Conservative Party. Pincher has not commented on the allegations of inappropriately touching two men.Â
An MP who was there at the Carlton Club on Wednesday night claimed Pincher was so intoxicated he could hardly stand up and had been asked to leave by many others.
The victims were two members of the staff, and several MPs who saw the alleged groping sent a message to chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris demanding a meeting to discuss it.
Among those called in the incident was Sarah Dines, a fellow whip, confirmed the two sources.
The Tamworth MP resigned from the whips office in the year 2017 after the Mail on Sunday claimed that he had made unwanted advances on Alex Story, a Conservative activist and former Olympic rower. According to reports, Pincher was wearing a bathrobe when the alleged event happened at his London residence.
An investigation by the Conservative party later found him not guilty. A party representative at the time stated that after an investigation, a panel led by an independent QC evaluated the material and had found there had not been a violation of the code of conduct.
Some Conservative MPs expressed unease at Pincher’s resignation rather than dismissal and his retention of the Conservative whip. One MP said that it wasn’t going to last.
In recent months, a number of sexual misconduct scandals have rocked Boris Johnson’s administration. A Conservative MP was detained last month on suspicion of seven years’ worth of rape and sexual assault offences, from 2002 to 2009. In the wake of the incident, he was later released on bail without being accused.
To list, Imran Ahmad Khan, the Conservative MP for Wakefield, Neil Parish, the Conservative MP for Tiverton and Honiton, David Warburton, another Conservative MP, Rob Roberts, the Conservative MP for Delyn have all been accused of sexual misconduct, faced investigation, have either been suspended or resigned.Â
The Prime Minister has declared the matter to be closed following Pincher’s resignation. Upon being stressed about him “not being a minister anymore”, Boris Johnson said that though he wasn’t aware of any investigation, he feels that this behaviour was not acceptable and anyone who felt the need to file a complaint was free to do so.
