Chris Pincher has been given an eight-week ban from the House of Commons for inappropriately groping two men at the Carlton Club in London last year. 

The MP for Tamworth had already said he would stand down at the next election but he may be out of his job sooner than that. His eight-week ban is well above the 10-day threshold which is required before triggering a recall petition and potentially a by-election. The Commons must vote on his punishment before the recall petition is officially launched. If 10 per cent of constituents sign the petition, a by-election will be called.

The standards committee said his behaviour was “completely inappropriate” and amounted to an “abuse of power”. Pincher has said he was “heavily intoxicated” when he groped a civil servant and an employee of the House of Lords. 

The year-long inquiry which led to the report found that the former deputy chief whip had groped one colleague on the arm and neck before groping him on the bottom. Then Pincher groped another man on the bottom before touching his testicles.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said “Pincher should do the decent thing and resign as an MP” after the “shocking” conclusion of the report from commissioner Daniel Greenberg.

Pincher has stood as an independent MP since the allegations were made last year and consequently had the Conservative whip removed. Last year, he said he had embarrassed himself and others and apologised for “drinking too much”.

The former wine critic for The Critic has had previous though. He was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017 before being appointed deputy chief whip by Theresa May and then Minister of State for Europe and the Americas by Boris Johnson.  

He responded to the report by saying he wishes to “reflect” on its conclusions.

The Conservatives are on course to lose all four of the upcoming by-elections and although Labour would need a 21 per cent swing to claim victory in Tamworth, the Tories could now be looking at a fifth loss.  

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