Tory MP Found Guilty Of Sexual Assault Will Resign And Trigger A By-Election
2 min read
Conservative MP Imran Ahmad Khan will stand down as an MP after being expelled from the Conservative party with “immediate effect” after the 48-year-old was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old-boy in 2008.
The Wakefield MP shared a statement on Thursday confirming that he will inform parliamentary authorities of his decision to resign and "withdraw from political life", which will trigger a by-election in the Red Wall seat, which has a Conservative majority of 3,358.
Earlier this week a court heard that Khan dragged his victim upstairs, pushed him onto a bed and forced him to watch pornography in a house in Staffordshire.
The victim said he felt "scared, vulnerable, numb, shocked and surprised" following the attack.
Khan is due to be sentenced at a later date. While he intends to appeal the verdict, he said that the process is likely to be lengthy, distracting from his job as an MP.
"I have therefore regrettably come to the conclusion that it is intolerable for constituents to go years without an MP who can amplify their voices in parliament," he said in the statement.
Following the verdict, a Conservative Party spokesperson said: "Mr. Khan has been expelled from the Conservative Party with immediate effect."
Khan, who was elected to represent Wakefield in 2019, was found guilty by a jury at Southwark Crown Court on Monday afternoon.
The Labour Party had earlier called for him to "resign so a by-election can take place and the people of Wakefield can get the representation they deserve.”
Mary Creagh, the former Labour MP for Wakefied, said: "My thoughts are with his victim who had the immense courage to come forward & others who gave evidence at trial."
Robbie Moore, the Conservative MP for Keighley and Ilkley, joined Labour calls for Khan to resign and call a by-election.
"The crimes Imran Ahmad Khan has been convicted of are vile and disgusting," Moore said.
"He has no place in the House of Commons and should now immediately resign so people of Wakefield can have a new MP as soon as possible," he added.
"The victim has shown immense bravery and courage."
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