Conservative Member of Parliament Arrested on Suspicion of Rape: Report

Police officers stand in sight of the Elizabeth Tower, commonly known by the name of the b
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Kurt Zindulka

A Tory MP has reportedly been arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault in the latest scandal to hit the governing Conservative Party in the House of Commons.

According to a report from The Sun newspaper, an unnamed Conservative, who is said to be currently serving as a Member of Parliament, has been arrested by police.

Without divulging the identity of the politician, a spokesman for Scotland Yard told the nation’s top-selling tabloid: “A man was arrested on suspicion of indecent assault, sexual assault, rape, abuse of position of trust and misconduct in a public office.”

The paper reported that The Met had conducted a two-year probe into the allegations after being made aware of them in 2020. The alleged sexual offences are said to have occurred in London between the years 2002 and 2009.

Confirming that the arrested man is indeed a serving MP, a whips office spokesman said: “The Chief Whip has asked that the MP concerned does not attend the Parliamentary Estate while an investigation is ongoing.

“Until the conclusion of the investigation we will not be commenting further.”

The allegations against the unnamed Tory MP come in the wake of months of scandals to hit the Boris Johnson-led Conservative party.

Last month, for example, Tory MP Imran Ahmad Khan was found guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage boy at a party in 2008.

Conservative LGBT+ group boss Crispin Blunt rushed to defend his colleague after the court’s ruling, saying the conviction of Khan for sexually assaulting a boy was based on “lazy tropes” which caused a “miscarriage of justice”. Blunt subsequently stood down over the controversy his remarks generated.

Conservative MP David Warbuton was also suspended from the party last month over sexual assault allegations, after the Sunday Times reported that three women had made claims of inappropriate touching and comments to the House of Commons’ Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (IGCS).

Currently, there are over 50 MPs in Westminster from all parties believed to be under investigation by parliamentary authorities over sexual assault claims.

Follow Kurt Zindulka on Twitter here @KurtZindulka

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