Does Tory MP rape arrest herald more Pestminster claims?
Conservative Party bracing for further sexual misconduct allegations
The so-called Pestminster scandal is back in the headlines following the arrest of an unnamed Tory MP over rape and sexual assault claims spanning a seven-year period.
The Metropolitan Police said a man in his 50s was taken into custody over allegations of “indecent assault, sexual assault, rape, abuse of a position of trust and misconduct in a public office” in London between 2002 and 2009. He was been released on bail pending further inquiries by Scotland Yard, which launched an investigation after receiving a complaint about the MP in January 2020.
The government’s chief whip, Chris Heaton-Harris, has ordered the MP to stay away from Parliament until the police probe has concluded. But “whips believe that if they suspend the MP from the party whip, thereby naming him, it would endanger the anonymity of the alleged victim or victims”, according to The Times.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Pest-minster 2.0
The arrest has plunged the Conservative Party into “further turmoil over the ongoing Pestminster scandal that has rocked Westminster”, said Politico London Playbook’s Alex Wickham. The MP was reportedly detained just hours after Boris Johnson told his cabinet that he wanted to focus on “crime, crime, crime”.
And less than a month has passed since Tory MP Imran Ahmad Khan was forced to resign after being convicted of molesting a 15-year-old boy. Fellow MP Neil Parish then stood down after admitting watching pornography in the Commons.
And a third Tory MP, David Warburton, has been suspended from the party following sexual harassment allegations.
More allegations
In another major potential blow to the party, an “upcoming television documentary on scandals in Westminster” is expected to claim that a “former Tory minister” is facing allegations of sexual misconduct “from a fellow MP”, according to The Mail on Sunday.
Channel 4’s Dispatches is set to reveal that a “cabinet minister is also facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct with young staffers”, said the paper.
Parliamentary authorities are reportedly “worried about significant damage to trust in MPs” when the fresh wave of allegations “come to light this month, hot on the heels of recent scandals”.
A source said: “It erodes trust. It stops good people from wanting to join [Parliament].”
The Sunday Times reported last month that at least 56 MPs were under investigation over sexual misconduct claims reported to Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS).
The allegations range from “sexual harassment to more serious wrongdoing” said the paper.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'This needs to be a bigger deal'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
John Prescott: was he Labour's last link to the working class?
Today's Big Quesiton 'A total one-off': tributes have poured in for the former deputy PM and trade unionist
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Last hopes for justice for UK's nuclear test veterans
Under the Radar Thousands of ex-service personnel say their lives have been blighted by aggressive cancers and genetic mutations
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
What message is Trump sending with his Cabinet picks?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION By nominating high-profile loyalists like Matt Gaetz and RFK Jr., is Trump serious about creating a functioning Cabinet, or does he have a different plan in mind?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Can Europe pick up the slack in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Trump's election raises questions about what's next in the war
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
What does the G20 summit say about the new global order?
Today's Big Question Donald Trump's election ushers in era of 'transactional' geopolitics that threatens to undermine international consensus
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
Will Trump fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell?
Today's Big Question An 'unprecedented legal battle' could decide the economy's future
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Will Donald Trump wreck the Brexit deal?
Today's Big Question President-elect's victory could help UK's reset with the EU, but a free-trade agreement with the US to dodge his threatened tariffs could hinder it
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Where did Democratic voters go?
Voter turnout dropped sharply for Democrats in 2024
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published