Boris Johnson was embroiled in another sloppiness scandal on Friday after it emerged he had appointed Tory MP Chris Pincher to a key government role despite being aware of doubts about Mr Pincher’s behaviour.
The Tamworth MP was stripped of the Conservative whip following a formal complaint about his alleged drunkenness of two men at a private members’ club earlier this week.
But Tory MPs were furious that the Prime Minister waited almost 24 hours before suspending Mr Pincher from the party, with one backbench MP describing attempts to draw a line under the issue as a “farce”.
The whip was finally withdrawn on Friday afternoon after it was announced that the case was being investigated by Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievances Scheme, launched in the wake of the Pestminster scandal.
Mr Pincher resigned as deputy leader of the government – a role that includes responsibilities for the welfare of MPs – late on Thursday, admitting he had “drank too much [and] shamed me” at the exclusive Carlton Club on Piccadilly in London.
It was his second resignation over allegations of sexual misconduct after he stepped down as whip in 2017 after being accused of unwanted passing of former Olympic rower Alex Storey. On that occasion, a Conservative inquiry cleared him of breaching the party’s code of conduct.
But MPs said stories of excessive drinking and inappropriate behavior continued to circulate around Westminster.
Downing Street today insisted Mr Johnson was not aware of “any specific allegations” linked to the 52-year-old MP in February when he promoted him to the post of deputy chief whip.
But the No 10 spokesman had to correct himself after initially saying the Prime Minister was not aware of “any allegations”, in a clear indication that general concerns had been raised about Mr Pincher.
The review was carried out by the cabinet’s integrity and ethics team – as it is with all new appointments – but the spokesman said: “In the absence of a formal complaint, it was not appropriate to suspend the appointment based on unsubstantiated allegations.”
A close ally of the prime minister, Mr Pincher was promoted from housing secretary shortly after playing a prominent role in the Operation Save Big Dog campaign to fend off threats to Mr Johnson’s leadership.
One Tory MP told The Independent: “It’s a complete mess. These issues appear to have been noted during the appointment. If the Prime Minister wants to claim he didn’t know, I’m not sure that’s very credible.
And a former minister said the appointment had raised eyebrows among the Conservative backbenchers because Mr Pincher was known to have a “previous”.
“Many of us were surprised when he was appointed to this role,” the former minister said. “It was always quite a casual meeting because everyone knew he liked alcohol.”
The failure to withdraw the whip immediately, as happened in earlier sexual misconduct scandals such as the one involving Rob Roberts, “seems to me to suggest that Chris was treated differently,” he added.
Neil Parrish, who quit as a Tory MP after admitting to viewing pornography in the House of Commons, said he was “very upset” that double standards were being applied.
Disgraced MP Neil Parrish ‘can’t believe’ Chris Pincher not stripped of whip
Speaking before Mr Pincher’s suspension, he said: “He might be the deputy chief whip, he might even have been the guy who took the whip off me, so come on, let’s be honest.”
Two senior Tory women have called for a formal code of conduct for Conservative MPs to ensure they are all treated “in a fair and independent manner to avoid any suspicion of bias”.
Caroline Noakes and Karen Bradley, who chair the women and equalities and procedures committees respectively, said the party risked “serious reputational damage” due to an “inconsistent and unclear” approach to sexual misconduct complaints.
The pair said that, without exception, MPs facing allegations should be suspended and told to stay away from parliament until investigations are completed.
The Prospect union, which represents a large number of staff in Parliament, has called for all MPs accused of sex offenses to be barred from the estate.
“We can’t seem to go a week without yet another revelation of appalling sexual misconduct by MPs, yet Parliament – as an employer – is failing to take strong action to protect its staff, MPs’ staff and indeed other MPs,” said General Secretary Mike Clancy.
Mr Johnson’s former aide Dominic Cummings said concerns were routinely raised about MPs’ fitness for public service when it came to reshuffles.
“I have said many times over many years, political parties elect sexual deviants, incompetent narcissists, sociopaths,” he tweeted. “This is a feature, not a bug.
“When you’re in shuffle meets, it’s normal to go down a list like: Pervert; Investigated by the National Crime Agency (he doesn’t know); drunk; Sexual pest; Sexual pest; Fraudulent donors; Yes, she is good, but she is useless; an idiot; an idiot; He is well; Sexual pest; She’s actually good [laughter]; Dodgepot, etc.
Former top government lawyer Jonathan Jones agreed: “From my occasional, marginal involvement in reshuffles, it sounds about right. And then half of them get appointed anyway.
Labor deputy leader Angela Rayner said Mr Johnson had to be “dragged kicking and screaming to take any action”. “He just can’t be trusted to do the right thing,” she said. “This whole scandal is further evidence of his appalling judgment. Time for Conservative MPs to show this chaotic Prime Minister the door before he can do any more damage.
Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said Mr Pincher should stand down as an MP if the allegations against him were proven.
“It should never have taken this long for Boris Johnson to act and withdraw the whip,” she said. “Once again, it seems that Johnson should have been forced to do the right thing.
“There can be no more cover-ups or excuses. If this investigation confirms these serious allegations, Chris Pincher will certainly have to resign.
Meanwhile, Downing Street has announced that Rochester and Stroud MP Kelly Tolhurst has been appointed to take Mr Pincher’s former post as deputy chief whip.
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