Chester by-election confirmed after MP resigns over sexual misconduct

Labour MP Christian Matheson has stepped down as an MP following allegations of sexual misconduct, prompting a by-election in his Chester constituency.

Matheson, who has been an MP since 2015, has been accused of “unwanted and unwelcome sexual advances” towards a junior member of staff. Although he denies many of the allegations against him, he announced this morning that “the honourable and right thing to do now is to resign my seat and seek to rebuild my life elsewhere”.

The Independent Expert Panel had recommended Matheson’s suspension from parliament for four weeks. The Labour Party suspended him following the publication of the parliamentary watchdog’s report and launched an investigation.

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The allegations against Matheson relate back to December 2019, reported The Telegraph, when he invited a female employee “on a private trip abroad” and told her to keep it secret. The trip did not go ahead, but the report found that the invitation “was sexually motivated, unwanted, and had placed the complainant under pressure”.

The MP was also found to have “made her hold his hand” when leaving parliament, “invited her back to his flat, kissed her twice on the forehead and attempted to kiss her on the mouth”, said the BBC.

Matheson admitted to a minor breach of the ministerial behavioural code, but insisted in his resignation letter that he had “been found guilty of several allegations that I know to be untrue”. He added that insisting on his innocence “was held against me as a refusal to accept my guilt, and caused an increased sanction”.

Labour has vowed to “select a candidate that the people of Chester can be proud to vote for”. A spokesperson for the party said there must be “zero tolerance for sexual harassment”.