MP Julian Knight said he is facing a “witch-hunt” after his call for restoration of the Tory whip was rejected over “further complaints” made against him.
The Conservative party said on Wednesday that it would not restore the whip to Knight after police dropped an investigation into an allegation of serious sexual assault against him.
The MP for Solihull had always strongly rejected any wrongdoing after the complaint was made about him to the Metropolitan police, saying he had been targeted by unfounded rumours and blackmail.
The Metropolitan police confirmed it was no longer investigating the matter. Knight, who was suspended from the Conservative party over the claim, always denied the allegation and demanded the “immediate” return of the party whip.
However, a spokesperson for chief whip, Simon Hart, said Knight would not have the whip restored “following further complaints made to the whips’ office”. “These complaints, if appropriate, will be referred to the relevant police force, or appropriate bodies,” they said.
Scotland Yard received an allegation of serious sexual assault on 28 October last year, and on 7 December a further referral relating to the incident was made, prompting an investigation into Knight. No details of the allegation were released at the time.
Knight criticised the whips’ office, accusing it of a “desperate attempt to cover up the identities and motives of those in parliament who colluded for many months to bring the false allegation against me to the police”.
“The police have confirmed today that there is no evidence to support that allegation and closed their investigation. They did not even need to interview me to do so,” he said.
“Yet the whips’ office now seems intent on continuing a witch-hunt against me in an attempt to prevent my naming names.”
Knight also criticised the Tory whips’ office for “acting disgracefully” by removing his anonymity when the further complaint was made.
“The fact is that there was never anything for the police to investigate. This was a single, false and malicious allegation initially brought to them by third parties, each of whom had their own clear motives for doing so.
“In publicly naming me in connection with the allegation, the Conservative whips’ office acted disgracefully and in breach of natural justice by removing my anonymity. Their actions meant my name was dragged through the mud and my good reputation immeasurably damaged.
“The conduct of one person in the whips’ office, and the language used towards me, was particularly egregious.
“Had the police taken the simple step at outset of interviewing me under caution, they would have seen that the allegation was false and scandalous. Instead, they waited four months, without ever talking to me, before deciding there was nothing for them to investigate.”
Last month, Knight complained to the Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, about the handling of the allegation, writing to the police chief to call the investigation “flawed and fundamentally unjust”.
Knight, who chairs the Commons digital, culture, media and sport select committee, has been an MP since 2015.
