A Conservative minister has been fired from his post and had the whip withdrawn following allegations of “serious misconduct”.
It is understood that Conor Burns, a Trade Minister and MP for Bournemouth West, was sacked after a third party made a complaint to Tory whips about his behaviour towards a man at the party conference in Birmingham earlier this week. The incident is allegedly said to have taken place in a hotel bar, The Mirror reports .
A statement from Number 10 said: “Following a complaint of serious misconduct, the Prime Minister has asked Conor Burns MP to leave the Government with immediate effect. The Prime Minister took direct action on being informed of this allegation and is clear that all ministers should maintain the high standards of behaviour – as the public rightly expects.”
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A Whips' Office spokesman said: “We have suspended the Whip pending investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour earlier this week. We take all such allegations extremely seriously. The Prime Minister has been clear that the highest standards in public life must be upheld.”
The 50-year-old MP, who has previously served as Northern Ireland Minister, has also been suspended as a patron for the LGBT+ Conservatives “pending the conclusion of investigations”. Burns responded to the measures taken on Friday in a series of Tweets.
He wrote: “Earlier I received a call from the Chief Whip Wendy Morton. Ms Morton informed me that a complaint had been received about me and she had passed it to Conservative Campaign Headquarters to investigate. I was not given any information about the complaint nor was I asked to provide any information.
“On the basis of this complaint Ms Morton told me that the Whip was being withdrawn and that I was standing down as Trade Minister. I will fully cooperate with the Party's enquiry and look forward to clearing my name.”
He added: “I hope the party will be as quick to conduct their enquiry as they were to rush to judgement.”
The development comes as the latest in a series of allegations against members of the Conservative Party in recent months. In June, Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher had the whip removed after claims that he groped two men in a club, while earlier this year Tory MP Neil Parish stood down after he was found to have been watching porn in the House of Commons.
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