Chris Pincher To Resign Tamworth Seat, Triggering Another By-Election
2 min read
Disgraced MP Chris Pincher has said that he has “made arrangements to resign” after he lost an appeal against an eight-week suspension from the Commons following groping allegations.
Pincher had the Conservative party whip removed last summer after he was accused of groping two men in a central London club. He was a government whip at the time of the alleged incidents.
In a statement reported by the BBC this morning, Pincher, the MP for Tamworth, who lost the Tory whip when the allegations first emerged in summer 2022, said: “I do not want my constituents to be put to further uncertainty, and so in consequence I have made arrangements to resign and leave the Commons.”
He described Tamworth as a “wonderful place” and said it had been “an honour” to be the MP for the town.
The standards committee recommended in July that Pincher be suspended for eight weeks, having found that his behaviour "represented an abuse of power as he was in a position of authority” and had a "significant impact" on the individuals involved.
At the 2019 general election Pincher secured a majority of almost 20,000 for the Conservatives over Labour.
The Midlands town is a bellwether, having been Labour during the Tony Blair years, but electing Pincher since 2010 when David Cameron came to power.
A win for Labour at this by-election would signal further that the party is on course to win the next general election, given the seat has strengthend in its Conservative support at each election since 2010.
The Conservatives have achieved a majority of more than 10,000 at every election since 2015.
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