Tory MP sent home from party conference after 'totally unacceptable' altercation with staff
2 min read
A Tory MP has been sent home from his party’s conference after he was involved in a “totally unacceptable” altercation with staff at the event.
Armed police were called to the incident amid claims Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown lost his temper when he was prevented from taking his partner into a reception.
In a statement, the Conservative Party said they had ordered the Cotswolds MP to leave the Manchester gathering a day before it ends.
Quizzed on what had happened, the veteran backbencher told the Press Association: "I've got nothing further to say about it. I don't want to comment on it, really."
Paramedics and security staff were also called to deal with the incident, which took place in the International Lounge, while parts of the Manchester Conference Centre were put on lockdown.
Members of the press were unable to leave the media centre while the incident was dealt with, despite a staff member telling reporters it was “a small misunderstanding”.
A spokesman for the Conservative Party said: “The incident was totally unacceptable.
“Geoffrey has been asked to leave conference and we are establishing all of the facts to see if further action is necessary.
“We will always adopt a zero tolerance approach to any inappropriate behaviour towards our hardworking staff.”
Sir Geoffrey, 66, was first elected in 1992 for the Cirencester and Tewkesbury constituency, and is the Treasurer of the Conservative backbench 1922 Committee.
He was said to have attempted to bring his fiancee into the private lounge, but she was stopped by staff for not having the relevant pass, before security staff were forced to intervene.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “At around 1:45pm on Tuesday 1 October, an attendee to the Conservative Party Conference attempted to enter the International Lounge Area of the conference without a relevant pass.
“Security staff intervened and resolved the situation without any breach of security occurring.”
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