“He was over the line when it came to socializing,” one MP claimed. “He mumbled and mumbled some nonsense and came back saying he needed the toilet after being asked to leave.” And when asked if he had seen Mr Pincher, who has been MP for Tamworth in Staffordshire since 2010, drunk before, the MP said: “Not that bad. He was incredibly drunk.” In his first public statement since being suspended by the Tory whip, Mr Pincher, the former deputy leader, admitted he had “too much to drink on Wednesday night” and is now seeking medical support. And another MP who was present at the Carlton Club, where Tory MPs and supporters attended a Conservative Friends of Cyprus reception, told Sky News it was around 1am when Mr Pincher finally left the club, after closing of the bar. The latest revelations about events at the elite club on Wednesday coincide with mounting pressure on Boris Johnson over his decision to appoint Mr Pincher to such a sensitive government post in his reshuffle in February this year. The Sunday Telegraph reports the prime minister “turned a blind eye” to sex-parasite warnings about Mr Pincher. The Sunday Mirror reports he was warned twice, and the Independent claims a Tory MP claims he was groped twice by Mr Pincher. Analysis: PM shamed into disciplining close ally accused of coddling “He’s handy. This is a problem’ The Mail on Sunday, citing a claim first made by the prime minister’s former chief adviser Dominic Cummings, says Mr Johnson was aware of concerns about Mr Pincher’s behavior two years ago and told aides: “It is handy. That’s a problem. BY NATURE.” Downing Street did not deny there were concerns about Mr Pincher before his appointment, but insisted Johnson was “not aware of specific allegations”. Image: Boris Johnson and Chris Pincher One of the MPs present at the Carlton Club on Wednesday, asked if he was aware of Mr Pincher’s rumour, told Sky News: “There have been rumors for a while but there is a difference between rumors and hard facts.” Conservative MPs present praised the actions of two members of the 2019 intake, Sarah Dines and Mark Fletcher, who helped calm things down after a man complained to Ms Dines that he had been groped twice by Mr Pincher. It is understood that Ms Dines, a family lawyer who is MP for Derbyshire Dales, witnessed the incident involving one of the two men and later reported it to the government leader, Chris Heaton-Harris. “She handled herself very well” Describing Ms Dines’ actions at the Carlton Club, an MP who was present told Sky News: “She was trying to get Pincher to leave. She did her best to make the situation better. She handled herself extremely well.” When Mr Pincher did not leave, Mr Fletcher – MP for Bolsover – offered to help and took the 52-year-old former Tamworth MP out to St James’s Street in Piccadilly, but returned to use the toilet before finally leaving approx. 1 a.m., accompanied by Mr. Fletcher.
Pincher and Johnson powerless against midterm election threat
John Craig
Chief Political Correspondent @joncraig Chris Pincher’s statement breaking his silence on drunken groping allegations was both contrite and defiant. It was sad because he pledged to co-operate with the inquiry now being undertaken by the Commons sleaze watchdog, the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme. But it was challenging because he made it known that he has no intention of resigning as an MP and hopes to return to his constituency duties “as soon as possible”, he said. This, however, is almost certainly out of his hands. The investigation may take some time, depending on the number of complainants and witnesses. And if the result is a suspension from the Commons, there is likely to be a recall petition in Tamworth which could trigger a by-election which he and Boris Johnson – after his failed attempt to save Owen Paterson – would be unable to prevent. Read the full analysis here Government sources strongly defended Ms Dines after she was criticized in the Sunday Times by one of the men who accused Mr Pincher of fondling her. The man said he was “taken aback” when she asked him if he was gay. Sky News understands that Mr Heaton-Harris trusts her and believes she acted promptly and correctly when she saw inappropriate behavior and ensured the matter was reported. “We take all allegations of this nature extremely seriously” Describing the incident, government sources said she was approached on Wednesday by a person who complained about her misconduct. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 0:54 Ex-Tory MP: Double measures against Pincher Responding to the claim that he asked if the man was gay, sources said he asked a series of questions to better understand what had happened and to establish whether the person knew Mr Pincher and whether there was a previous relationship. And it is claimed by government sources that the very fact that Ms Dines was approached about this matter and followed up with the chief shows how seriously she took it. Responding to the prime minister’s latest criticism, a government spokesman told Sky News: “We take all allegations of this nature extremely seriously and would encourage anyone with any allegations to come to the appropriate authorities.”
