Chris Pincher: MP faces eight-week ban over groping incident

MP Chris Pincher is facing an eight-week Commons suspension after an inquiry found he groped two men at a London club last year.

Parliament's standards committee said his "completely inappropriate" behaviour was an "abuse of power".

The recommended sanction will need to be endorsed by the whole House of Commons.

That would trigger a recall petition in his Tamworth constituency, potentially leading to a by-election.

In a statement, Mr Pincher said he wanted to "reflect" on the report's conclusions, but he did not intend to comment further "at this time".

He said he wanted to "apologise sincerely" for his conduct, adding that he had sought professional medical help, which is "ongoing".

Labour would need a swing of just over 21% to take his Tamworth seat in Staffordshire, where he had a 19,000 majority at the last election.

Mr Pincher is already due to stand down as an MP at the next general election, which is expected next year.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said the report was "shocking," and Mr Pincher should "do the decent thing" and resign as an MP immediately.

The incident at the Carlton Club, a private members club in central London, was examined by Parliament's standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg.

It took place in June last year, after an event where Mr Pincher, the government deputy chief whip at the time, had been invited to speak.

Following a year-long inquiry, commissioner Daniel Greenberg found the MP had groped a then-employee of the House of Lords on his arm and neck, before groping his bottom.

He also found that he groped a civil servant on his bottom and then groped his testicles.

Mr Pincher was "heavily intoxicated" at the time and remembers "feeling hot and saying to someone 'I'm alright,'" the commissioner wrote.

But he "does not recall any other details about the evening or how he got home," Mr Greenberg added.

The House of Lords staffer told the commissioner he had found the incident "traumatic," and it continues to significantly affect his sleep when he has to recount it.

The civil servant told the commissioner he had been "significantly impacted" by Mr Pincher's conduct, and was taking medication to manage his anxiety afterwards.

In a report following the inquiry, MPs on the cross-party standards committee, which examines complaints against MPs, concluded Mr Pincher's "profoundly damaging" behaviour "represented an abuse of power".

They added that his conduct had broken the Commons behaviour code by causing significant damage to Parliament's reputation.

Their report added that, in a written submission, Mr Pincher had accepted his behaviour "damaged his own reputation and that of the government".

However, the committee added that Mr Pincher rejected the suggestion he had done significant damage to Parliament's reputation, arguing he was speaking at the club as a former minister rather than as an MP.

Mr Pincher has ten days to appeal to an independent expert panel, if he can provide new evidence or point to a procedural inaccuracy.

If the eight-week ban is backed by MPs in a Commons vote, it will trigger a recall petition process - under which there will be a by-election in his Tamworth seat if 10% of registered voters sign a petition calling for one.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Mr Pincher was no longer a member of the government, and any sanction was up to MPs to decide.

Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain called on Mr Sunak to confirm he would personally vote to endorse a suspension.

"Sunak promised to govern with integrity, he must vote with it," she added.

Mr Pincher was elected as a Conservative MP, but was suspended from representing the party in Parliament last year after the allegations emerged.

Following reports about his conduct at the club, Mr Pincher apologised for "drinking far too much" and embarrassing "himself and other people".

Boris Johnson's handling of the allegations led to the downfall of his government, after a wave of ministers resigned.

After the allegations emerged, ministers insisted the former prime minister was not aware of specific allegations against Mr Pincher when he appointed him to the deputy chief whip role.

The BBC later reported that Mr Johnson was made aware of a formal complaint about Mr Pincher's "inappropriate behaviour" while he was a Foreign Office minister from 2019-20.

Dozens of ministers submitted their resignations in the wake of the controversy, prompting Mr Johnson, who was already under pressure over the Partygate scandal, to resign as prime minister.