Labour MP Triggers By-Election by Resigning Over ‘Sexual Misconduct’ Allegation

The Union Flag flies above the Victoria Tower and the Palace of Westminster. Jonathan Brady/PA

A Labour MP has resigned—after a parliamentary watchdog upheld complaints of “serious sexual misconduct” by a young assistant—triggering a by-election.

Christian Matheson, 54, had denied the allegations but said he had decided to resign as MP for the City of Chester, a constituency he had held since 2015.

The Independent Expert Panel had recommended a suspension of four weeks after the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Stone, upheld two allegations of sexual misconduct against Matheson by a former member of staff.

The complaint, made under Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, alleged Matheson made unwanted advances towards a female assistant, who no longer works for him.

Stone concluded Matheson had invited her on a private trip to Gibraltar in 2019 and “the invitation was sexually motivated, unwanted, and had placed the complainant under pressure and intimidated her.”

Then, during and after a works event in January 2020, he had “linked arms with her; made personal comments about her appearance while looking at her suggestively; made her hold his hand as they left and insisted on accompanying her to her bus stop; and once there invited her back to his flat, kissed her twice on the forehead and attempted to kiss her on the mouth.”

‘Unwanted and Unwelcome Sexual Advances’

“The commissioner concluded that these were all unwanted and unwelcome sexual advances,” concluded Stone.

Matheson said, in a statement on Friday: “I have today, with great sadness, tendered my resignation as Member of Parliament for the City of Chester. I am dismayed that I have been found guilty of several allegations that I know to be untrue.”

The Labour Party is understood to have suspended Matheson’s party membership following the watchdog’s report and the Chief Whip, Sir Alan Campbell, urged him to stand down as an MP.

A Labour spokesman told PA: “This is an incredibly serious case. There must be a zero tolerance for sexual harassment and the Labour Party has acted immediately following the ICGS findings. We will now select a candidate that the people of Chester can be proud to vote for.”

Matheson won the City of Chester from the Tories in 2015 and had a majority of 6,164 at the last election.

In his resignation statement, Matheson said: “From the start I accepted I had committed a minor breach of the code and had hoped that an honest and open approach would stand me in a fair light.

“This has proven not to be the case and I am dismayed that I have been found guilty of several allegations that I know to be untrue. Indeed my insistence on what I know to be true—that I had no sexual motivation in this matter—was held against me as a refusal to accept my guilt, and caused an increased sanction which I felt was disproportionate,” he added.

Matheson concluded, “I believe that the honourable and right thing to do now is to resign my seat and seek to rebuild my life elsewhere.”

PA Media contributed to this report.