Ex-Tory whip accused of groping to stand down at next election

Chris Pincher was at centre of controversy that sparked Boris Johnson’s downfall

The former Tory deputy chief whip Chris Pincher who was accused of groping is thought to be standing down at the next general election.

Mr Pincher has sat as the independent MP for Tamworth since he was suspended by the Tories following allegations of sexual misconduct were made in June last year.

The MP was at the centre of the controversy that sparked Boris Johnson’s downfall at No 10 when Tory MPs shared their outrage at the then-PM’s handling of the scandal.

Mr Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip on 30 June following claims that he groped two men at the Tories’ Carlton Club.

He admitted that he had “embarrassed myself and other people” while being drunk, but denied sexual harassment allegations. A series of further misconduct claims, denied by the MP, then emerged in the press.

Former No 10 strategist Dominic Cummings claimed that Mr Johnson knew of his reputation and had referred to the MP as “Pincher by name, pincher by nature” before making him deputy chief whip.

Mr Pincher is still under investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. The anti-sleaze watchdog office opened the investigation in October – citing “actions causing significant damage to the reputation of the House as a whole, or of its members generally”.

The row over the allegations against Mr Pincher sparked a row that helped end Mr Johnson’s premiership, after his handling of the scandal unleashed a wave of pent-up frustration with his leadership, already damaged by Partygate.

The Pincher scandal – in which it emerged that Mr Johnson had appointed him to the whips’ office despite hearing allegations against him – brought an avalanche of ministerial resignations and his exit from Downing Street.

Downing Street said Mr Johnson was not aware of any “specific allegations” about Mr Pincher when he appointed him to the whips office – but it emerged over the following days that he was told about allegations against him as far back as 2019.

Mr Pincher, first elected to parliament in 2010, is said to have told both national and local party officials he will not run again.

He was re-elected to his Tamworth seat in Staffordshire with a majority of just over 19,000 in 2019. Several sitting Tory MPs have applied to be the constituency’s new candidate, according to the BBC.

A string of senior Tories and rising stars in the party have detailed their exit plans amid a polling slump, including ex-chancellor Sajid Javid and Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee.

There are now more than 30 Tory MPs who have announced that they won’t be standing at the next election, with 12 Labour MPs also stepping down next year.