Chris Pincher, the MP at the centre of a scandal that led to Boris Johnson’s downfall as prime minister, is facing a new investigation by parliament’s sleaze watchdog.
It emerged on Monday that an inquiry had been launched into whether the former deputy chief whip broke House of Commons rules by “causing significant damage” to its reputation.
It will be among the last major investigations overseen by the standards commissioner, Kathryn Stone, who is stepping down in January to be replaced by Daniel Greenberg.
If she finds against Pincher, the commissioner could suggest a suitable punishment, which could range from a forced apology to suspension from parliament. The standards committee would then either change or approve the suggested sanction before all MPs vote on it.
If a suspension of more than 10 days is passed, a recall petition will be triggered, which if signed by 10% of constituents would lead to a byelection in Pincher’s seat in Tamworth, Staffordshire.
Pincher resigned at the end of June 2022 after he was accused of drunkenly groping two men at a private members’ club, and reported by several MPs who witnessed the incident. In a statement afterwards, the MP said he “drank far too much” and “embarrassed myself”, adding he would seek professional medical support. He has kept a low profile since July, when he was stripped of the Conservative whip.
The episode proved the fatal blow for Johnson’s administration, after he and No 10 had repeatedly said repeatedly he was not aware of “any allegations” against Pincher before the then prime minister promoted him in February 2022. It later emerged, however, that an official complaint had been made against Pincher in a previous ministerial post that Johnson was directly informed about at the time, prompting accusations of a cover-up.
Following a barrage of other claims about Johnson misleading his colleagues and the public, MPs decided enough was enough and triggered a wave of resignations that forced him to quit, bringing down the government in July.
Pincher was investigated by the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) over the summer. However, it is believed to have rejected at least one referral made to it for an investigation.
Normally, the standards commissioner would wait before other investigations into an individual have been completed before commencing her own. The scheme does not comment on whether any cases are active, but Stone’s announcement suggests the ICGS complaint route has been exhausted.
