Boris Johnson faces charges of ignoring warnings about alleged sexual misconduct by his former deputy chief, Chris Pincher, after a number of additional allegations surfaced about the MP.
The prime minister is under pressure to explain what he knew about Pincher’s conduct, amid claims by former No. 10 aide Dominic Cummings that Johnson referred to him as “Pincher by name, pincher by nature.”
Pincher resigned Thursday as deputy whip manager following allegations he touched two drunken men at a Piccadilly club. His whip was removed after a report to the independent complaints system of parliament.
A series of six allegations of Pincher’s sexual conduct arose in Sunday newspapers, including allegations by thrilling deputies. It was also reported that a Conservative MP, Craig Whittaker, resigned from the whip office when Pincher was promoted in February. Pincher has denied the allegations.
A No. 10 source acknowledged that Johnson was “probably” aware of general allegations about Pincher and the nickname “Pincher by name, etc.”, but argued that he could not investigate “baseless rumors” before appointing him deputy to the ‘ast in towards February.
Speaking to broadcasters, Thérèse Coffey, the secretary of labor and pensions, insisted that Johnson “was not aware of the specific statements” about Pincher, but could not deny that he had been told of more general concerns.
Chris Pincher should lose the Tory whip, says MP who saw pornography in Commons: video
He told Sky’s Sophy Ridge program on Sunday: “I am aware that the Prime Minister was not aware of the specific claims that had been made.”
However, Coffey acknowledged that he had not spoken to the Prime Minister himself. He said the No. 10 press office had told him Johnson did not know of any specific statements.
In a statement over the weekend, Pincher said he respected the prime minister’s decision to withdraw the whip. “As I told the Prime Minister, I drank too much on Wednesday night, embarrassing myself and others, and I am sorry for the discomfort I caused,” he said.
“The tension of recent days, which has been added to that of recent months, has made me accept that I will benefit from professional medical support. I’m in the process of looking for it now, and I hope to be able to return to my constituency functions as soon as possible. “
Coffey noted that Pincher was approved by a previous investigation after Alex Story, a former professional rower and Conservative candidate, accused him of making unwanted passes and acting like a “Harvey Weinstein rower.”
Jonathan Reynolds, the shadow business secretary, described Coffey’s responses as “desperate.” He said: “I think we need to recognize what the constant problem is and it is a Conservative party that repeatedly chooses to do what is politically appropriate rather than what is right. It is clear from what we know this morning that Chris Pincher should not have never been put back in the whip office.
Labor MP Jess Phillips stressed the responsibility of the victims to go through a formal system of complaints and the lack of independence in party investigations.
“The whole system that depends on the victims doing all the work to force people with all the power to do the right thing is a problem. It provides coverage to politicians who know the behavior of their peers well to sit down and do nothing,” he said. to say.
“Pincher was clarified earlier by a completely non-independent investigation by the Conservative Party. The same system that said Rob Roberts didn’t do anything wrong either. The same system that whipped Charlie Elphicke and Andrew Griffiths.”