Cabinet minister hints Tory deputy chief whip who resigned over ‘groping’ claims

A cabinet minister has suggested the Conservative Party deputy chief whip who resigned after he was said to have groped two men while drunk will lose the party whip later today.

Welsh secretary Simon Hart said the alleged assault at a Conservative Party private members’ club made him “very sad”.

Labour, as well as other Tory MPs, have demanded that Chris Pincher lose his party’s whip. Mr Hart hinted that he agreed and suggested such a move could happen later today.

“Let’s let today play out, let the chief whip do his duty today, and then I think we might be having a very different conversation as the day goes on,” he told Sky News. Asked about the sexual misconduct allegations, the cabinet minister said: “I don’t know the detail.

“This makes me very sad, it makes me sad for everybody who’s been involved in these things. It’s clearly something which has gone terribly wrong.

“There is a process, I think it’s important that the process is followed.”

But he warned the resignation likely “won’t be the last” Westminster scandal, as he said the allegations against Mr Pincher must “absolutely not” be swept under the carpet.

 “No, absolutely not. Absolutely not.,. This is not the first time, I fear it possibly won’t be the last.

“This happens in workplaces from time to time, whatever we may think, and I am not trying to say look, just look the other way… absolutely not.”