Boris Johnson has come under even more pressure from a new sex scandal. Deputy Parliamentary Secretary Chris Pincher has now had to resign.
Britain’s Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson has come under even more pressure from a new sex scandal: Tory parliamentary deputy secretary Chris Pincher has to submit his resignation following allegations of sexual assault. According to British media reports, the 52-year-old sexually assaulted two men, including a Member of Parliament, at a private club in London. He then complained to the conservative party leadership.
In his resignation letter released Thursday night, Pincher said he “drank too much” during the incident the night before. He apologized for “shaming” himself and others. A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is already under heavy pressure over a series of scandals, said on Friday that the prime minister has accepted the resignation and “thinks it was the right thing to do for him.” Such behavior is “unacceptable”.
When Pincher was stepping down as Deputy Secretary of Parliament, he initially intended to remain a Tory MP. The opposition reacted with outrage: “It is out of the question for conservatives to eliminate potential sexual abuse under the carpet,” wrote Labor Party deputy leader Angela Renner on Twitter. Ethical standards were “completely eroded” under Johnson’s government.
party membership suspended
Calls to Johnson for the complete expulsion of Pincher were also heard from within his own ranks. On Friday evening, the Conservatives pressed for at least one point: Pincher’s party membership was suspended.
The ruling party has been rocked by a string of sex scandals in recent months. In mid-May, a member of parliament was provisionally arrested on suspicion of rape. Also in May, a former Tory MP was sentenced to one and a half years in prison for sexually abusing a minor. In late April, a member of parliament resigned after watching pornographic videos on his mobile phone in parliament.
In addition, there is the scandal surrounding alcohol-fueled parties in the seat of government during the Corona lockdown, which brought Prime Minister Johnson an internal party Vote of No Confidence. Johnson narrowly escaped the Partygate vote last month.
