Chris Pincher’s future as Tory MP in the balance after groping claims | The Tory Chief Whip will decide on Friday whether to suspend his former deputy

11 comments

  1. The Standard add new information to the story, with news that Cabinet minister Hart may favour suspension to be decided soon, and has invited further complaints.

    > Cabinet minister Simon Hart said the Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris would be deciding whether to take any disciplinary action against Chris Pincher who resigned as his deputy on Thursday night admitting he had “embarrassed myself and other people” after having had “far too much” to drink.

    To read this you’d think he woke up thinking “what have I done?” and referred himself in a fit of conscience.

    [But no:](https://www.itv.com/news/2022-06-30/embarrassed-myself-tory-whip-resigns-admitting-to-pm-he-drank-too-much)

    > ITV News understands two Tory MPs complained to whips about Mr Pincher.

    > After being informed of the complaints, the deputy chief whip resigned and referred himself for investigation.

    As ITV News point out, this is the second time Pincher has applied this strategy:

    > It is the second time he has quit the whips office, having resigned as a junior whip in November 2017 following a complaint that he made an unwanted pass at the former Olympic rower and Conservative candidate Alex Story.

    > Having referred himself to both the police and the Conservative Party complaints procedure, he was brought back by Theresa May as deputy chief whip in January 2018.

    The 2017 incident, [revealed by the Mail](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5052291/Tory-whip-Chris-Pincher-QUITS.html) was also [covered by the Mirror](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/like-pound-shop-harvey-weinstein-11469572).

    Pincher poured Story a whiskey, after insisting Story accompany him to his flat.

    > Mr Story wrote: “I suddenly felt a bit woozy, and was sitting on the left side of the couch, leaning on the armrest, as he became unusually tactile. He then started untucking the back of my shirt, massaging my neck and whispered, ‘You’ll go far in the Conservative Party'” . . .

    Cabinet Minister Hart:

    > “It’s entirely right that the Chief Whip and others take a view today about what is the appropriate course of action.

    > “And of course if there are those who are victims of this or who wish to raise a complaint, they can do so. Those two things are slightly different.”

    He seems to invite complaints from other victims wishing to come forward, and according to the Standard “appeared to hint that he believes that Mr Pincher should lose the Tory whip.”

    When the recent “Tory MP sexually assaults men after giving them date-rape drug” (i.e. “nipplegate”) story [came to light](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/top-tory-mp-faces-drink-27030008) just over a month ago, Paul Staines / Guido chose to [draw attention to Pincher](https://nitter.net/GuidoFawkes/status/1528334260846923777) for no discernible reason.

    According to [a comment on twitter](https://twitter.com/breeallegretti/status/1542618992111767553) alleging a leak from a Tory WhatsApp group, MP Peter Bottomley MP wants Pincher “back in government” soon.

    ___

    Since the plethora of recent sexual misconduct cases involving Tory MPs is confusing, I include a handy guide from a previous comment:

    – Chris Pincher: Resigns as whip, [admitting groping two men](https://www.itv.com/news/2022-06-30/embarrassed-myself-tory-whip-resigns-admitting-to-pm-he-drank-too-much) in Tory private members club, after complaints from two Tory MPs **<<< Current Tory MP sex scandal story**
    – Unnamed “senior MP” accused of [drugging and assaulting](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/top-tory-mp-faces-drink-27030008) victims, pleas to investigate [have been ignored](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnson-ignores-pleas-young-27092266) (“nipplegate” MP.)
    – Unnamed ([mostly](https://www.google.com/search?q=%22andrew+rosindell%22+%22arrested%22&tbs=qdr:m)) MP: recently [arrested for rape and assault](https://news.sky.com/story/conservative-mp-arrested-over-rape-and-sexual-assault-allegations-spanning-seven-year-period-12615430) over a seven year span
    – Imran Khan: [convicted of assaulting a minor](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61113265), who allegedly [plied underage boys](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10721535/Paedophile-ex-Tory-MP-Imran-Ahmad-Khan-offered-teenage-boy-cocaine-prostitutes.html) with prostitutes and cocaine
    – David Warburton: suspended over [alleged sexual assault and cocaine use](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/02/tories-suspend-david-warburton-amid-claims-over-sexual-harassment-and-drug-use)
    – Rob Roberts [back in the Commons](https://www.businessinsider.com/conservative-party-research-group-still-working-disgraced-mp-rob-roberts-2021-8) as an independent, after a six week suspension for sexual harrassment
    – Andrew Griffiths, the ex-minister for corporate responsibility, found by a judge to have [raped his wife](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/dec/10/former-conservative-mp-andrew-griffiths-raped-wife-family-court-finds) while she slept
    – Charlie Elphicke [“I’m a naughty Tory”](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jul/30/ex-mp-charlie-elphicke-convicted-of-sexual-assault) convicted of three counts of sexual assault against two women
    – Neil Parish [resigned after admitting porn surfing](https://news.sky.com/story/neil-parish-resigns-as-an-mp-after-admitting-watching-pornography-in-the-commons-12605291) at his workplace – the House of Commons – but at first [feigned ignorance about the affair](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/neil-parish-porn-commons-gb-news_uk_626c01cce4b04a9ff89b8de7) on TV.

  11. The fact that so many politicians, corporate overlords, and religious leaders Parents failed in directly communicating “Keep your hands to yourself” is remarkable, or maybe simply ingrained as a right of rank.

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