A man working in politics at the time claims the MP groped him on the night of January 24 that year. He claims Mr Pincher was drunk and grabbed his bottom. The man – who wishes to remain anonymous – also has a handkerchief which he says was given to him by Mr Pincher that night after the pair had spent time together. The handkerchief Chris Pincher allegedly gave to one of his accusers. Credit: ITV News Speaking to ITV News, he said:[Mr Pincher] he was quite scruffy and his hands were everywhere, I felt so uncomfortable knowing he was an MP.” The alleged incident came within months of the MP’s resignation in November 2017 as Theresa May’s government whip following allegations of sexual abuse. The latest allegations told to ITV News come on top of a string of other accusations made in recent days after Mr Pincher resigned as Boris Johnson’s deputy chief amid claims he “grossed” two men. The Tamworth MP, who is under investigation over the latest allegations, told the prime minister he was resigning after he had “too much to drink” at a Tory private club and “embarrassed” himself. Mr Pincher was revealed on Monday to be the subject of other charges of a similar nature, over alleged conduct in 2019, where a “group of people” complained to the Foreign Office’s permanent secretary. The complaints led to an investigation by the State Department, which upheld the complaint, but no disciplinary action was taken. Number 10 admitted Prime Minister Johnson was informed of the investigation, despite previously denying knowledge of any specific allegations against Mr Pincher, but still made him his deputy leader in February 2022. The prime minister’s spokesman, explaining the denials, said Johnson had forgotten about the 2019 investigation when the latest allegations were made. Mr Johnson was made aware of the Foreign Office investigation after he decided to appoint Mr Pincher as his deputy leader in this year’s reshuffle, deciding it was not appropriate to block the MP’s promotion based on resolved issues. The man who claims to ITV News that Mr Pincher caught his bottom in Soho in 2018 has continued to work for Johnson at Number 10. He claimed the Prime Minister “wanted to give Mr Pincher the chief whip position but was advised to give him a deputy to keep a low profile because they knew about his behaviour”. “There is no way the prime minister has “forgotten” the previous complaints, he was advised not to give him this position or even a higher position.” Mr Pincher has generally denied the allegations against him, however he has so far not responded to ITV News’ request for a response to these latest allegations. Want a quick and special update on the biggest news? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out what you need to know… The politician, who remains an MP despite intense pressure to stand down, is under investigation by Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Complaints System following a formal complaint from one of the men he allegedly fondled last week. In a statement over the weekend, the former minister said he would cooperate fully with the investigation and was seeking professional medical support after the “stress of the last few days”. He said he hoped to return to his job as an MP “as soon as possible”.
