Former government whip Chris Pincher is facing an eight-week suspension from the House of Commons after an inquiry found he drunkenly groped two men at a London club last year.
Mr. Pincher, MP for Tamworth, resigned from the whips office and had his Conservative Party membership suspended last year over the alleged groping of two male guests at a Conservative Party private members’ club in June 2022.
In a report published on Thursday, Parliament’s Standards Committee upheld the allegations and said that Mr. Pincher’s conduct at the Carlton Club last summer was “unwanted, inappropriate, and upsetting,” in what amounted to an “egregious case of sexual misconduct.”
One of the men told the investigation that the incident “significantly impacted” him, adding, “I have become increasingly anxious as a result of the incident.”
The committee said: “Mr. Pincher’s conduct was completely inappropriate, profoundly damaging to the individuals concerned, and represented an abuse of power.”
It concluded that he broke the MPs’ code of conduct by behaving in a way that would cause “significant damage to the reputation and integrity” of the House of Commons.
The eight-week suspension is one of the longest ever recommended and greatly exceeds the ten-day threshold that could trigger a recall petition in his Staffordshire seat.
‘Traumatic’
One of the complainants, a House of Lords employee at the time, told the investigation that at around midnight on June 30 last year, Pincher grabbed his forearm in the bar of the private members club “for longer than necessary.”He said the MP went on to “stroke the back of my neck” before he squeezed his backside.
“I was so shocked at what had just happened,” the complainant said.
“I found the incidents with Mr. Pincher to be traumatic and the incidents continue to significantly affect my sleep whenever I have to recount Mr. Pincher’s behaviour.”
A civil servant who was a witness in the investigation said Pincher touched his bottom before squeezing his testicles for several seconds.
He said: “The incident with Mr. Pincher has significantly impacted me. I have become increasingly anxious as a result of the incident, and I am now taking medication to manage my anxiety.
‘Heavily Intoxicated’
Pincher denied breaching the code of conduct, but told the investigation he was “very sorry” for his actions, which he is unable to recall.He admits he was “heavily intoxicated” but has expressed “genuine contrition” and taken responsibility for his actions, the committee said.
In a statement, Mr. Pincher said he apologises “sincerely” and will not fight to remain as Tamworth’s MP.
“I resigned as deputy chief whip and have already said that I will not seek re-election,” he said.
“I have sought professional medical help, which is ongoing and has been beneficial to me, for which I am grateful.”
The scandal triggered the downfall of Boris Johnson, who had appointed the MP to the senior role overseeing party discipline despite being aware of an official complaint about Mr. Pincher’s behaviour.
Call for Resignation
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner called on Mr. Pincher to “do the decent thing and resign.”“Chris Pincher’s actions are shocking. But what’s even worse is the way the Conservative Party protected him—even promoting him despite a previous investigation into his conduct,” she said.
The Liberal Democrats urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to “show some backbone” by voting to suspend Mr. Pincher when the report goes before the Commons.
Asked whether Mr. Pincher should resign, Mr. Sunak’s official spokesman said: “The report raises serious issues. It is really a question for the MP. He is not a member of government, so it is not one for me.”
