Chris Pincher finally resigns as MP sparking Tamworth by-election, what are 'groping' allegations against him?

Former Tory whip Chris Pincher has said he is resigning as an MP after losing his appeal against a suspension for allegedly drunkenly groping two men.

This will lead to another potentially damaging by-election for Rishi Sunak's Conservatives, with a poll to replace Nadine Dorries in Mid Bedfordshire already set for 19 October. The Tories lost two by-elections in July with huge swings, while just holding onto Boris Johnson's seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

Pincher said he did not want to put any “further uncertainty” on his constituents in Tamworth, in the West Midlands, and has “made arrangements to resign and leave the Commons”.

He had sought to reduce the potentially by-election triggering eight-week suspension recommended by the Commons Standards Committee for what was found to be an “egregious case of sexual misconduct” at London’s exclusive Carlton Club last year. But Parliament’s Independent Expert Panel (IEP) dismissed his appeal on Monday.

In a statement to the PA news agency, the former deputy chief whip said: “I have said already that I will not stand at the next general election. However, following the Independent Expert Panel’s decision I wanted to talk to my office team and family.

“I do not want my constituents to be put to further uncertainty, and so in consequence I have made arrangements to resign and leave the Commons. Tamworth is a wonderful place and it has been an honour to represent its people.”

Pincher resigned last year as deputy chief whip after the Carlton Club allegations, in a scandal which ended up bringing down Boris Johnson's government. Johnson was briefed “in person” about a previous investigation into the conduct of Pincher when he was a Foreign Office minister, the former permanent secretary at the Foreign Office said, however the then-PM denied he'd heard any allegations against the Tamworth MP before appointing him to the front bench.

This precipitated dozens of members of government resigning, before eventually Johnson followed suit. Since resigning from the government, Pincher had the whip removed but stayed on as MP for more than a year, raking in the £86,000 annual salary.

What were the allegations against Chris Pincher?

According to The Sun, Pincher allegedly groped two fellow patrons at the Carlton Club in London’s Piccadilly on 29 June, which is the Tory Party’s exclusive private members club. Speaking to the Times anonymously, one of the men said that he had been buying a round of drinks when Pincher groped him on his backside before moving his hand to his groin. It was the first time he had met Pincher. He said: “I had my drink in my hand and then he then went down and grabbed my arse and then slowly . . . moved his hand down the front of my groin. I froze a little bit and it ended after about two or three seconds. It was a very bizarre thing.”

He claimed that he approached Sarah Dines, a junior whip who had witnessed the alleged assault, and told her to raise the incident with the chief whip.

“I said: 'That might have happened in the 1970s and 1980s but it’s not OK now',” he said. The second man who was allegedly groped recalled a similar encounter according to the Times.

After this, numerous other accusations of misconduct came to light including ex-Olympic rower Alex Story who said Pincher had made an unwanted advance on him after he was invited back to the MP's home. Story said he was wearing a “bathrobe like a pound shop Harvey Weinstein, with his chest and belly sticking out”.

Pincher's conduct was 'profoundly damaging'

The Standards Committee found in July the MP’s conduct last summer was “profoundly damaging” and amounted to an abuse of power. His actions were described as “unwanted, inappropriate and upsetting”.

The eight-week suspension would have triggered a recall petition if it had been approved by MPs, which was almost inevitable. A by-election would then have followed if the petition was signed by 10% of constituents.

Pincher appealed the punishment, arguing it was disproportionate, but the IEP said Pincher’s arguments were “misconceived or erroneous” and backed the committee’s proposed sanction.