Two women accuse PM's father Stanley Johnson of inappropriate touching

Two women, including a Conservative MP, have accused the prime minister's father, Stanley Johnson, of touching them inappropriately.

Caroline Nokes told Sky News that Mr Johnson had smacked her "on the backside about as hard as he could" at the Tory Party conference in 2003.

And political correspondent Ailbhe Rea has accused Mr Johnson of groping her at the 2019 Conservative conference.

Mr Johnson told Sky he had "no recollection" of Ms Nokes.

He declined to comment on the allegations by Ms Nokes and Ms Rea, who writes for the New Statesman magazine, as he left his home on Wednesday morning.

Ms Nokes told the BBC Mr Johnson should "own up and apologise", adding: "I think anyone would be shocked to have someone smack them on the bum, and that's the reality.

"I think the flip of that is that it's something that too many women put up with too many times in their lives."

Asked why she had not spoken out before, Ms Nokes said: "Time has moved on and it actually matters that the experiences that we may have had as much younger women don't leave you.

"They really don't leave you and so it's important that when you have the confidence to talk about them that you do."

Downing Street said it would not be making a statement regarding Mr Johnson, as he was a "private individual".

"Anyone who commits a criminal act we would not condone, but I'm not getting drawn in to allegations against an individual," a spokesman added.

Ms Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton North since 2010, was the Conservative candidate for the constituency when the incident allegedly happened at the 2003 conference in Blackpool.

She told Sky News: "I can remember a really prominent man (Mr Johnson) - at the time the Conservative candidate for Teignbridge in Devon - smacking me on the backside about as hard as he could and going, 'Oh, Romsey, you've got a lovely seat'."

When approached about his alleged behaviour, Mr Johnson said: "I have no recollection of Caroline Nokes at all - but there you go. And no reply... Hey ho, good luck and thanks."

After these comments, Ms Rea tweeted: "Stanley Johnson also groped me at a party at Conservative conference in 2019.

"I am grateful to Caroline Nokes for calling out something that none of us should have to put up with, not least from the prime minister's father."

Ms Nokes has served as a minister for home affairs, work and pensions and in the Cabinet Office.

Mr Johnson, a former Member of the European Parliament, has never been elected as an MP.