Boris Johnson says Scots Tory Ross Thomson was 'right to quit' after groping claim

Boris Johnson has distanced himself from a former Scots Tory MP accused of .

The Prime Minister said Ross Thomson was right to quit as a candidate and even declined to say that he was a good MP.

Earlier this year, the Daily Record broke the story that an unnamed MP had accused Thomson of unwanted physical advances.

Labour MP Paul Sweeney put his name to the allegations on Sunday as he was frustrated with the length of time the investigating authorities were taking to look at the case.

He said Thomson had “drunkenly” intruded on his conversation with a group of old friends from Glasgow University and was “drunk to the point where he was barely able to stand up”.

Conservative Party MP Ross Thomson denies the claims (PA)

The Glasgow North East MP accused Thomson of trying to put a hand down his trousers in a House of Commons bar, adding: “I felt paralysed. It was such a shocking thing. I was in a cold sweat, it was mortifying. Nobody knew where to look at the table. It’s embarrassing.”

Asked in Elgin about the Thomson allegations and the decision to quit as an MP, Johnson said: “I think that Ross has obviously taken the right decision and I think that you should direct all further questions to him. And obviously I regret very much what has happened, but he has done the right thing.”

Asked if Thomson had been a good MP, he said: “I think Ross has done the right thing.”

Labour MP Paul Sweeney (Daily Record)

Thomson denied the allegations at the weekend but announced his decision to quit within hours: “This has been without doubt the hardest decision of my life. I remain confident that the ongoing parliamentary standards process will find in my favour and that these baseless claims will be shown up for what they are.

“I will continue to explore all options available to me in response to the defamatory and damaging allegations made by Mr Sweeney.”

Sweeney was backed by Douglas Mathewson, who was Thomson’s civil partner.

Douglas tweeted: “A really brave action by Paul Sweeney and one that must have been difficult.

“As expected, the accused is talking him down but this has to be expected as his default position.”

It was also reported that Thomson quit after pressure from local Conservative officials in Aberdeen.