Theresa May 'given weekly updates on Tory sex scandals'
2 min read
Theresa May is under fresh pressure after it emerged she is given weekly updates on the sexual indiscretions of Conservative MPs - including senior ministers.
Chief whip Gavin Williamson informs the Prime Minister about the intelligence his office has gathered on the behaviour of colleagues.
According to the Sunday Times, one Downing Street aide refers to the get-together as the "ins and outs chat".
The misdemeanours covered include politicians having affairs, using prostitutes, running up gambling debts and taking drugs, the paper said.
The Sun on Sunday said Mrs May feared the potential scandals could even force her into an emergency reshuffle which could destabilise the Government.
The shock claims emerged as Westminster braced itself for further revelations about the extent of sexual misbehaviour by MPs.
International trade minister Mark Garnier refused to deny claims he made his secretary buy sex toys in Soho, while former Cabinet minister Stephen Crabb admitted sending explicit text messages to a 19-year-old woman who tried to get a job in his office.
One Downing Street insider told the Sunday Times: "Gavin would come in and explain that this MP was having an affair or that MP had been up to no good. The ‘ins and outs’ stuff, the whips call it. Theresa just sits there and doesn’t say much. On one occasion she said, ‘Why can’t they just do their job?’"
Emma Reynolds, the Labour MP for Wolverhampton North East, told the paper: "The whips should not protect MPs they hear are accused of sexual assault. They should be reported to the police."
Nadine Dorries, the Conservative MP for Mid-Bedfordshire, said: "No male predator should be given cover. In order for women to reach their full potential, the corridors of power have to be free from all forms of sexual harassment and intimidation, regardless of party. This does not just apply in Westminster, but in all workplaces across the UK - especially those which are male-dominated."
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