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MP Julian Knight to stand down at next election

UK Parliament Julian KnightUK Parliament

The MP Julian Knight has said he will not stand at the next general election.

It comes after the Metropolitan Police dropped an investigation into him after they received allegations of serious sexual assault.

He strongly denied the allegations and claims his name has been "tarnished".

The Solihull MP, who was elected in 2015, also said he will relinquish his chairmanship of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

A police investigation had been launched into Julian Knight MP after police received allegations of serious sexual assault.

Scotland Yard received an allegation on 28 October last year, before a further referral relating to the incident was made on 7 December.

On 29 March this year, police dropped their investigation into Mr Knight saying no arrests had been made.

After this happened, the Tory whips office said it would not restore Mr Knight as a Tory MP following "further complaints".

The chief whip Simon Hart said the complaints, if appropriate, "will be referred to the relevant police force, or appropriate bodies".

In a statement on his Twitter page, Mr Knight said: "The false and malicious accusation brought against me last December did untold damage to my physical and mental well-being as well as causing pain and distress to my loved ones."

The BBC understands multiple people, in addition to third-party witnesses, had reported allegations to the Met.

Mr Knight says he was made aware of one allegation, and police did not interview him, before they closed the case.

He accused the whips' office of making a statement about "unspecified further complaints" which he said "tarnished my name and left my family and me in limbo".

He also argued he had tried to "discover the nature of these allegations so that I could deny them, since I know I am guilty of no wrong-doing".

But he added that "no job or political career is worth this".

He stated that he will sit as an independent MP until the next general election but will not stand again, and has "no choice" but to relinquish his position as chair of parliament's DCMS committee.

He said he will "in due course be taking legal advice" on whether to follow up on what he claims was an "invitation" by the police to "register a criminal complaint" regarding the accusation in December.