What’s at stake in the Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth by-elections?
On 9 June 2023, Nadine Dorries announced that she was standing down from her Mid Bedfordshire seat “with immediate effect”. In the end, it took a further 78 days for the former culture secretary and Boris Johnson loyalist to make good on her word, extending her boycott of the House of Commons chamber to 414 […]
Chris Pincher resigns after losing commons suspension appeal over groping allegations
Former Conservative MP Chris Pincher has resigned after he lost his appeal against an eight-week suspension from the commons following groping allegations made against him. The commons standards committee announced the sanction in July following an investigation into the claims and whether the former deputy chief whip caused “significant damage to the reputation of the […]
Chris Pincher faces eight week suspension after inquiry into groping incident concludes
The standards committee has published its report into the conduct of former Conservative whip Chris Pincher. Mr Pincher is now facing a suspension from the House of Commons for eight weeks after the committee concluded the MP had committed an “abuse of power”. Mr Pincher is accused of assaulting two fellow guests at the exclusive […]
PM grilled by Bryant in liaison committee
Prime minister Boris Johnson has been grilled in liaison committee this afternoon. Standards committee chair Chris Bryant pushed Johnson particularly hard on the fallout from Chris Pincher. Bryant went on to tell the PM “you’re not going to learn any lessons and you’re not going to change”.
Starmer tells PM ‘we have had enough’
Following the resignations of senior secretaries of state Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid on Tuesday evening, prime minister Boris Johnson faced questions from Labour leader Keir Starmer. Starmer focused on the appointment of former minister Chris Pincher, grilling the PM, asking Johnson to avoid “bluster and half truths”, something of which Starmer said “we’ve all […]
Johnson briefed ‘in-person’ over Pincher allegations
Lord McDonald has claimed today that Boris Johnson was briefed “in-person” over sexual misconduct allegations against Chris Pincher. At this afternoon’s lobby briefing a No 10 spokesperson confirmed that McDonald’s claims were correct, but that Johnson had failed to “recall” the briefing. No 10 say the complaint McDonald referred to had been “resolved”. The former […]
Minister says PM cannot ‘act on gossip’ as Pincher scandal continues
This morning a minister has defended Boris Johnson’s appointment of disgraced MP Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip back in February. Pincher announced his resignation from the role last Thursday evening with a letter that began: “Dear prime minister, last night I drank far too much. I’ve embarrassed myself and other people which is the […]
Chris Pincher has Conservative whip suspended
It is alleged that Chris Pincher has had the Conservative whip removed. This afternoon The Telegraph and the BBC reported that Downing Street sources say the decision to remove the whip from the MP has been made. The former publication says Kelly Tolhurst has been appointed as Pincher’s replacement in the whips’ office. This morning […]
