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Minister steps down after sending explicit messages to constituents Minister resigns after sending constituents explicit messages
(about 17 hours later)
Andrew Griffiths, the minister for small business, has resigned from the government after being found to have sent more than 2,000 explicit messages to two women in his constituency. A government minister has resigned following allegations that he bombarded two female constituents with “depraved” sexual messages.
The Conservative MP for Burton, and Theresa May’s former chief of staff, released a statement saying apologising for what he had done, after the texts were put to him by the Sunday Mirror. Andrew Griffiths, 47, Conservative MP for Burton and Uttoxeter, whose wife gave birth to their first child in April, said in a statement that he was “deeply ashamed” and was “seeking professional help to ensure it never happens again”.
In the statement, the 47-year-old junior minister said: “I am deeply ashamed at my behaviour which has caused untold distress to my wife and family, to whom I owe everything, and deep embarrassment to the prime minister and the government I am so proud to serve. Griffiths, who once worked as Theresa May’s chief of staff, is alleged to have bombarded a 28-year-old barmaid and her friend with lewd comments on social media over a three-week period.
“I tendered my resignation as parliamentary under secretary of state for small business on Friday night.” He sent 2,000 messages in which he referred to himself as “Daddy”, suggested renting a flat so they could meet for sex and asked them to send him explicit photos and videos, the Sunday Mirror reported.
He added that he had referred himself to the Conservative party’s code of conduct procedures after discussions with the chief whip. Imogen Treharne told the newspaper that after meeting him online, the MP “didn’t want to speak to me about anything other than sex”.
“I entirely accept that pending this investigation it is right the whip is withdrawn. I wish to apologise to my constituency association and to the people of Burton I am honoured to represent.” She said: “I wanted him to be a nice guy but by the end I felt dirty. I felt like I was being used for this wealthy man’s gratification.”
He said he would be seeking professional help to address his unaceptable behaviour sending sex texts. “I do not seek to excuse my behaviour and will be seeking professional help to ensure it never happens again. One of the messages, printed by the newspaper, read: “Take off the bra and panties ... you’ve got Daddy in a frenzy.”
“In time I hope to earn the forgiveness of all those who put their trust in me and that I have let down so terribly. The prime minister and the government she leads will continue to have my full support.” Griffiths, who helped set up the Women2Win campaign to help get more female MPs elected, said in a statement to the Sunday Mirror, that he was deeply ashamed at his behaviour “which has caused untold distress to my wife and family” and also “deep embarrassment to the prime minister and the government I am so proud to serve.
The Sunday Mirror has reported the content of the messages, which it described as “depraved”. The statement continued: “Following discussions today (Saturday) with the chief whip I have referred myself to the Conservative party’s code of conduct procedures. I entirely accept that pending this investigation it is right the whip is withdrawn.”
He added: “I do not seek to excuse my behaviour and will be seeking professional help to ensure it never happens again. In time I hope to earn the forgiveness of all those who put their trust in me and that I have let down so terribly.”
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said Griffiths had stepped down for personal reasons.
Griffiths, who was elected in 2010, was appointed to the small business role in January, having been a government whip from July 2016. He led the government’s response to the Hampton-Alexander review into gender equality in FTSE 350 companies and also launched a campaign to encourage more fathers to take paternity leave.
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