Rishi Sunak could face another by-election after the former Tory whip Chris Pincher had his suspension upheld by parliament’s standards watchdog on Monday.
Mr Pincher lost his appeal against an eight-week suspension after he was found to have drunkenly groped two men at the Carlton Club in London last year.
It paves the way for a by-election in the former deputy chief whip’s Tamworth seat, since he looks almost certain to face a recall petition in his constituency.
The standards committee earlier found that Mr Pincher’s conduct was “profoundly damaging” and amounted to an abuse of power. The suspension exceeds the 10-day threshold that could trigger a recall petition in his seat.
The committee upheld allegations that Mr Pincher touched two men at the club in a scandal that hastened Boris Johnson’s downfall.
Mr Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip on 30 June last year following the groping allegations. He admitted that he had “embarrassed myself and other people” while being drunk, but denied sexual harassment allegations.
A series of further misconduct claims, denied by the MP, then emerged in the press. Former No 10 strategist Dominic Cummings claimed that Mr Johnson knew of his reputation and had referred to the MP as “Pincher by name, pincher by nature” before making him deputy chief whip.
The debacle over the allegations against Mr Pincher sparked a row that helped end Mr Johnson’s premiership, after his handling of the scandal unleashed a wave of pent-up frustration with his leadership, already damaged by Partygate.
Chris Pincher’s scandal helped spark Boris Johnson’s downfall— (PA Archive)
Mr Pincher, first elected to parliament in 2010, is said to have told both national and local party officials he will not run again. He was re-elected to his Tamworth seat in Staffordshire with a majority of just over 19,000 in 2019. Several sitting Tory MPs are thought to have applied to be the constituency’s new candidate.
Asked if Mr Pincher should resign, Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson said that was “a matter for him in the first instance”. The No 10 official made it clear that the PM supported the work of the standards committee, and was also clear about the need for “professionalism and accountability”.
News of yet another difficult contest for the PM – as he attempts to “reset” his premiership – comes as it emerged that the by-election in Nadine Dorries’s Mid Bedfordshire seat will be held on 12 or 19 October. The Tories, boasting a 24,000 majority, are hoping to cling on because of a potentially even vote split between Labour and the Lib Dems.
Concerns had arisen that Mr Sunak might postpone the by-election to avoid scheduling conflicts with the Tory conference – but the Lib Dems planned to table a motion this week for the contest to be held as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, the date for the recall by-election in Rutherglen and Hamilton West will soon be confirmed as the SNP submit a motion to trigger a vote – with the contest expected to take place on 5 October.
The fight for the constituency, triggered by former SNP MP Margaret Ferrier’s Covid rule-breaking, will be closely fought by Labour and the SNP.
