This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65941710
The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Suspended Conservative David Warburton quits as MP, triggering another by-election for party | Suspended Conservative David Warburton quits as MP, triggering another by-election for party |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| David Warburton has resigned after a newspaper published allegations of sexual misconduct | David Warburton has resigned after a newspaper published allegations of sexual misconduct |
| A Conservative MP who was suspended following allegations of sexual misconduct has resigned. | A Conservative MP who was suspended following allegations of sexual misconduct has resigned. |
| David Warburton, who represents Somerton and Frome in Somerset, is the fourth Tory MP in eight days to announce their resignation. | |
| Mr Warburton said the past 14 months since allegations were published in a national newspaper had been "extraordinarily difficult". | Mr Warburton said the past 14 months since allegations were published in a national newspaper had been "extraordinarily difficult". |
| He added that the allegations about him had been "malicious". | He added that the allegations about him had been "malicious". |
| The MP had been accused of taking drugs and making unwanted advances towards two women, leading to his suspension from the Conservatives in April last year. | |
| His immediate departure means there will be a by-election arranged in his seat, which he has represented as an independent since losing the Tory whip. | |
| Mr Warburton had taken the constituency from the Liberal Democrats in 2015, was re-elected in 2017 and 2019. He won with a majority of 19,213 in that last poll. | |
| "My constituents in Somerton and Frome who elected me three times with overwhelming majorities have for a year been deprived of the voice they need," said Mr Warburton. | "My constituents in Somerton and Frome who elected me three times with overwhelming majorities have for a year been deprived of the voice they need," said Mr Warburton. |
| "I am so grateful for their many messages of support, and it is with sorrow that I have no choice but to provoke the upheaval of a by-election." | "I am so grateful for their many messages of support, and it is with sorrow that I have no choice but to provoke the upheaval of a by-election." |
| He also said in his three-page resignation letter he had been denied a fair hearing by the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) and prevented from "speaking out" while it investigated the accusations. | |
| He joins Boris Johnson and Nigel Adams who resigned last week triggering by-elections in their constituencies. | |
| Nadine Dorries also announced her resignation, but said her departure would not be immediate as she wanted to stay while she seeks to investigate how she was denied a seat in the Lords on Boris Johnson's resignation honours list. | |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| David Warburton | David Warburton |