Chris Pincher

Following the incident on 29-30 June 2022, Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip. The parliamentary investigation concluded, on the balance of probabilities, that he had subjected two people to unwanted sexual touching and that his behaviour constituted an abuse of power and seriously damaged the reputation of the House. An eight-week suspension was recommended. Pincher did not challenge the finding of a breach itself on appeal, but rather the proportionality of the sanction; the Independent Expert Panel dismissed the appeal on 4 September 2023. He subsequently announced his resignation as an MP before the House voted on the sanction.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

According to Lord McDonald's public letter, a group of civil servants had complained about Pincher's behaviour during summer 2019, and the investigation upheld the complaint. Pincher reportedly apologised and promised not to repeat the behaviour. Dominic Raab, then Foreign Secretary, confirmed telling him to stop such behaviour while emphasising that no further disciplinary sanction had been imposed, partly because the complainant did not wish to pursue the matter. The distinction between an upheld complaint and the absence of an additional formal sanction is preserved.

Attribution

Directly implicated

The press reported a series of separate accounts spanning several years, including allegations of unwanted sexual contact or advances towards men in political settings. These reports deepened the crisis surrounding his appointment to the whips' office and what Boris Johnson had known about his past. Pincher denied the new allegations. They are retained as a body of media-reported accounts distinct from the Carlton Club case, without presenting them as judicially established facts.

Attribution

Directly implicated

Story claimed that Pincher had made unwanted advances towards him and massaged his neck while discussing his future in the party. Pincher stated that he did not recognise the events or their interpretation, while apologising if Story had been offended. He temporarily left the whips' office and referred himself to the party's disciplinary process and the police. Subsequent sources indicate that the Conservative Party's internal inquiry cleared him. The historical allegation must therefore not be presented as established wrongdoing.

Attribution

Directly implicated