British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party has suspended a lawmaker who has become the latest party politician to be involved in sexual harassment allegations.
Christopher Pincher, whose role as Comptroller of the House of Commons involved enforcing party discipline, resigned from the government saying he had drunk too much, embarrassed and “caused annoyance” to people.
Pincher was suspended from the parliamentary party on Friday, said a spokesman for the party chief, who oversees discipline.
British media reported that Pincher had sexually assaulted two male guests at a London nightclub.
Pincher did not respond to requests for comment.
“Having heard that a formal complaint has been made to the ICGS (the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme), the Prime Minister has agreed with the Comptroller of the House of Commons that Chris Pincher should be suspended from office while the investigation is ongoing,” he said. the spokesperson.
In 2017, Pincher was cleared of charges through an internal party complaints procedure, following reports that he had touched a former rower in an unwanted way.
The prime minister’s spokesperson previously said Johnson was not aware of any specific allegations when he named Pincher to his government post.
Last week, Johnson’s Conservatives lost two congressional seats in votes triggered by the resignations of two of their lawmakers in separate scandals related to sexual misconduct.
Another Conservative lawmaker was arrested on suspicion of rape and other sexual offenses and suspended from parliament during police investigations.
Johnson was under pressure from some of his own lawmakers and opponents to suspend Pincher.
Two conservative lawmakers, Caroline Nokes and Karen Bradley, said the party had an inconsistent and unclear approach to sexual misconduct cases.
“The party and, by extension, the government risk serious reputational damage with the current approach,” they wrote in a letter to Police Chief Chris Heaton-Harris, calling for a zero-tolerance policy and for all cases to be investigated. .
“Anyone subject to such an investigation should not be allowed to sit as a Conservative MP.”
The deputy leader of the opposition Labor Party, Angela Rayner, said the Conservatives were “sweeping possible sexual assault under the rug”.
Source: CNN Brasil
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