The Conservative whip has been suspended from Chris Pincher after an investigation was launched into allegations he drunkenly groped two men at a private members’ club. Boris Johnson bowed to pressure after a complaint about the MP was made to Parliament’s watchdog that examines allegations of bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct.
Mr Pincher dramatically quit as Tory deputy chief whip after a drunken incident in which he allegedly groped two guests at a London club. The Prime Minister had been resisting calls to go further and remove the whip, meaning the Tamworth MP would sit as an independent in the Commons.
But on Friday, the action was taken after a formal complaint was made to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS). A spokeswoman for Conservative chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris said: “Having heard that a formal complaint has been made to the ICGS, the PM has agreed with the chief whip that the whip should be suspended from Chris Pincher while the investigation is ongoing.
“We will not pre-judge that investigation. We urge colleagues and the media to respect that process.”
