A member of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government, responsible for the parliamentary discipline of Conservative MPs, resigned after accusations of touching two men, new political torment for the leader already weakened by scandals.
Read alsoEx-British MP sentenced to 18 months in prison for sexual assault of a minor
In a resignation letter dated Thursday, June 30,
deputy chief '
whip ' Chris Pincher admits to having '
too much to drink
' and apologizes for '
shaming himself, (him) and others
".
According to several British media, the 52-year-old Conservative elected official touched two men, including an MP, in a private club in central London, the Carlton Club, on Wednesday evening, resulting in complaints to the Conservative Party.
Although he resigned as deputy
chief whip
, Chris Pincher remains an MP, which sparked calls for his exclusion from the party and an internal investigation.
“
It is out of the question for the Conservatives to ignore a possible sexual assault
,” tweeted Angela Rayner, number 2 of the Labor Party, the main opposition formation.
“
Boris Johnson must now say how Chris Pincher can remain a Tory MP
,” she added, lamenting a “
total degradation in the standards of public life
” under the prime minister.
Similar behavior in 2017
Appointed in February, Chris Pincher had already resigned as "
junior whip
" in 2017, accused of having made sexual advances to an Olympic athlete and potential Conservative candidate for election.
This case adds to an embarrassing series of other sex cases for the ruling party in recent months.
An unnamed MP suspected of rape was arrested and then released on bail in mid-May, another resigned in April for watching pornography in the House on his mobile phone in April, and a former MP was convicted in May to 18 months in prison for the sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy.
Read alsoUnited Kingdom: accused of watching porn in Parliament, a British MP confesses and resigns
Boris Johnson's government has also been rocked by scandals like Downing Street parties despite anti-Covid restrictions during the pandemic, which resulted in the leader being the subject of a vote of no confidence by his own camp , which he narrowly survived.
He has already paid dearly for these cases at the polls, the Conservatives having been sharply beaten in two by-elections in June.