Tory chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris urged the unnamed MP in his 50s to stay away from Parliament.
18 May 2022
A Tory MP accused of rape and sexual assault offences spanning seven years has been released on bail pending further inquiries.
Scotland Yard said the unnamed man in his 50s was also detained on suspicion of indecent assault, abuse of position of trust and misconduct in public office.
Tory chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris urged the MP to stay away from Parliament but has not suspended the whip, meaning the suspect remains a member of the parliamentary party.
The Metropolitan Police said officers received a report in January 2020 relating to alleged sexual offences committed in London between 2002 and 2009.
The investigation is ongoing, led by officers from the Met’s central specialist crime team.
It was understood the Conservatives will not make a decision on whether the suspect has the whip suspended until after the police investigation is concluded.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she was “very, very concerned” that a Tory colleague had been arrested.
Asked how she felt when she heard the news, she told Sky News: “I’m very, very concerned about the reports that I’ve heard. Clearly this is a matter for the police.
“The police are currently working on the case but it is worrying that we are seeing these appalling … accusations, again, about a parliamentarian.”
Asked if the MP should have been suspended or had the whip withdrawn, she said: “I think it’s a matter for the police about whether that individual is named.
“I don’t know who it is. I know that the police are looking at it and investigating it and I think we need to wait for the police to conduct those investigations.”
