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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Zoe Tidman

Mel B makes veiled swipe at Tory minister Conor Burns as he responds to ‘serious misconduct’ claim

Getty Images

Spice Girl Mel B has taken an apparent swipe at a government minister forced to quit following a “serious complaint”.

Conor Burns has been sacked as a trade minister following allegations of “inappropriate behaviour” at the Tory party conference this week.

The MP confirmed he had been told to stand down by Conservative whips on Friday.

Conor Burns has been sacked as a government minister (PA Wire)

“I was not given any information about the complaint nor was I asked to provide any information,” he wrote on Twitter, adding: “I will fully cooperate with the party’s enquiry and look forward to clearing my name.”

Scary Spice appeared to take a veiled swipe at the former government minister in a reply to the tweet.

“Really?? You’re shocked about this complaint???” she wrote in a cryptic message.

The pop star added: “Let me remind you what you said me in lift…..”

Mel B, who is a patron of the Women’s Aid charity, was at the Tory party conference this year to speak on domestic abuse, sharing her personal experience and calling for a reform of the judicial system at a fringe event in the week.

She told the crowd she was “probably the last person you would expect to find” there but her presence was because she was “Melanie Brown MBE” rather than Scary Spice.

No 10 revealed on Friday that Mr Burns had been asked to leave government immediately “following a complaint of serious misconduct”.

Minutes earlier, the Tory whip had been suspended from Mr Burns. A spokesperson for the whips’ office said this was “pending investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour earlier this week”.

Mr Burns appeared to criticise his party in his tweets afterwards, saying: “I hope the party will be as quick to conduct their enquiry as they were to rush to judgement.”

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