The Labour MP for Chester - Chris Matheson - has announced his resignation after he was set to be suspended from Parliament for "serious sexual misconduct."
A Parliamentary watchdog was recommending that the Member of Parliament be suspended from the Commons for four weeks after it found him to be in breach of Parliament's sexual misconduct policy.
The independent panel report came about after a complaint from a junior member of Mr Matheson's staff. It found that in 2019 Mr Matheson had invited the young staff member on a private trip to Gibraltar. The Parliamentary Commissioner found that the invitation was "sexually motivated, unwanted and had placed the complainant under pressure and intimidated her."
READ MORE: Dad who was 'life and soul' of the party found dead in the middle of the night
The report also found that in January 2020 Mr Matheson took the junior staffer to a "work-related dinner" and during the evening "linked arms with her, made personal comments about her appearance while looking at her suggestively, made her hold his hand as they left and insisted on accompanying her to the bus stop." It adds that once at the bus stop, the MP "kissed her twice on the forehead and attempted to kiss her on the mouth."
The Commissioner concluded that these were all "unwanted and unwelcome sexual advances." It was also found that several further incidents complained of by the junior staff member were breaches of the Behaviour Code, but not breaches of the Sexual Misconduct Policy.
Shortly after news of the panel's findings were revealed, Mr Matheson said he would be resigning, insisting that he only committed a "minor breach" of the code.
He said: "I have today, with great sadness, tendered my resignation as a Member of Parliament for the City of Chester. This follows the publication of a report which had found me guilty of sexual misconduct."
"From the start I accepted I had committed a minor breach of the code and had hoped that an honest and open approach would stand me in a fair light. This has proven not to be the case and I am dismayed that I have been found guilty of several e allegations that I know to be untrue."
He added: "Whilst I believe this is an excessive and unfair penalty, I cannot challenge the process further. I believe that the honourable and right thing to do now is to resign my seat and seek to rebuild my life elsewhere. I would ask for privacy for my family." He said the matter had also caused a "great toll on his health" requiring hospitalisation.
Within the report, it states that a sub-panel concluded, based on the conduct the Commissioner found to have been proved, that "there is no doubt that [Mr Matheson] was seeking to initiate a sexual relationship with the complainant, his junior employee.
"This wished-for-relationship was unwanted and unwelcome throughout. The evidence confirms that his actions were entirely non-consensual, as well as threatening, intimidating, undermining and humiliating for the complainant."
The panel added that "The sexual misconduct found proved in this case amounts to a serious breach of the Behaviour Code. It has significantly impacted the well being of the complainant and has the propensity to undermine the legitimacy and authority of the House of Commons."
The report states that Mr Matheson denied the "more serious allegations". He accepted that he had been in breach of the Sexual Misconduct Policy after the formal dinner because he kissed the junior staff member on the forehead. He also accepted that he had "blurred the boundaries between employer and employee" and been too 'fatherly’ and ‘friendly’". But he denied that he was "sexually motivated’" at any time.
In its report today, the panel said the case involves a "serious breach of the Sexual Misconduct Policy with several Aggravating Factors" and that the impact of the misconduct has been "significant." The report said any mitigating factors were strongly outweighed by aggravating factors.
The panel has recommended that Mr Matheson is suspended from the House of Commons for four weeks.
Responding, a Labour Spokesperson said: "This is an incredibly serious case. There must be zero tolerance for sexual harassment and the Labour Party has acted immediately following the ICGS findings. We will now select a candidate that the people of Chester can be proud to vote for."
READ NEXT:
Liverpool builders did not have password for account with £226k of match day car park cash
Dad who was 'life and soul' of the party found dead in the middle of the night
'Hardworking' lad went out for 21st birthday and never came home
Merseyrail issues 'major disruption' warning to passengers over power supply
