Boris Johnson is under growing pressure to remove former Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher from the Conservative Party. On Friday morning, a Cabinet minister even suggested Pincher could be expelled by the end of the day, after he dramatically quit following a drunken incident.
Chris Pincher, who was responsible for maintaining discipline among Conservative MPs, said he had “embarrassed myself and other people” after having had “far too much” to drink. The Sun reported that he stood down after allegedly 'groping' two fellow guests at the Carlton Club – a Tory Party private members’ club in London’s Piccadilly – on Wednesday evening.
The Prime Minister was also facing questions about his own judgment, amid reports that he was warned about the wisdom of appointing Mr Pincher to such a sensitive post.
Welsh Secretary Simon Hart was on Friday unable to confirm whether the alleged incident was being formally investigated, as Labour demanded Mr Pincher have the whip suspended. Mr Hart said it was “early days yet” and that from the perspective of the alleged victims, it could be “counter-productive” to rush any probe.
Read more: Tory whip Chris Pincher resigns over 'embarrassing' drunken incident
He said Conservative Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris would be having “conversations” throughout the day and that “we might be having a very different conversation as the day goes on”. The Cabinet minister told Sky News: “This makes me very sad, it makes me sad for everybody who’s been involved in these things. It’s clearly something which has gone terribly wrong.”
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said Mr Pincher should have the whip suspended while a full investigation is carried out. She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “These allegations are really serious.
“So, the idea that the response that we’ve seen that the Prime Minister thinks he’s done the decent thing by resigning and there’s no need for an investigation, well, that’s a total disgrace. The whip’s office are responsible for discipline and standards among Conservative MPs. Boris Johnson chose this MP to be deputy chief whip because he was a friend and ally, despite the fact that he had to resign five years ago from the whip’s office due to similar sounding allegations.”
In his resignation letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Pincher apologised for his behaviour, saying it had been “the honour of my life” to have served in the Government. “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,” he said.
Mr Pincher’s departure in such dramatic circumstances is a further blow for the Prime Minister. Pincher’s departure comes just days after Oliver Dowden quit as party co-chairman in the wake of the Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton by-election losses.
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