The shamed MP who lost the Tory whip after groping allegations will not be investigated by the Parliamentary watchdog, it was claimed yesterday.
Chris Pincher was forced to quit his Government deputy Chief Whip role on June 30 over claims he groped two men at the Carlton Club in London.
The allegations were referred to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) in June by a young man who accused him of groping.
But the ICGS has dismissed the victim’s complaint because the incident did not happen on the Parliamentary estate, the Sunday Times reports.
Boris Johnson ’s handling of the Pincher scandal saw him haemorrhage support across the Tory ranks.
He faced pressure before admitting he knew of claims about Mr Pincher when he gave him a plum job.
Downing Street had previously insisted Mr Johnson was “not aware of any specific allegations” about the MP when he made him Deputy Chief Whip.
At the time, Angela Rayner said Mr Johnson should have personally investigated the rumours about Chris Pincher to find out if they were true.
The Deputy Labour Leader told the Mirror at an event hosted by the IPPR think tank: “It speaks to the character of Boris Johnson.
“If you hear of stuff that goes on in your workplace you have a responsibility, whether you’re the Prime Minister or not, to find out what that is and find out if there’s any truth in what’s happened.”
Ms Rayner said staff needed a safe space to report concerns, but “Boris Johnson does not create safe spaces.
“Because he doesn’t uphold the principles of public office, and therefore he demoralises people being able to come forward.”
She added: “It’s Boris Johnson that is the problem and he should have done something about it.
“It’s not plausible to me to turn round and say ‘well, it was just a rumour’.. It’s your job to go out and find out if there’s any truth to that rumour.”
A Commons spokesperson said they “cannot confirm or deny any investigations” as the ICGS “operates on the basis of confidentiality for the benefit of all parties”.
They added: “We cannot provide any information on complaints or investigations, including whether a complaint has been received or an investigation is ongoing.”
