Parliament’s standards committee has released a damning report into the conduct of MP Chris Pincher and recommended he be suspended from the Commons for eight weeks.
The former Tory stands accused of groping two men at a private members club in June 2022. Here are the most damning passages from the report.
Content warning: The extracts from the report contain descriptions of sexual assault
A matter of ‘fact’
The parliamentary commissioner for standards says Mr Pincher’s alleged conduct was witnessed by a number of individuals, including MPs and civil servants at the Carlton Club.
The committee says that in the commissioner’s opinion, it is a matter “of fact” that “Mr Pincher groped two individuals”.
“Mr Pincher touched the first individual (the complainant) on his arm and neck, before groping his bottom. Mr Pincher groped the second person on his bottom and then groped his testicles (Witness 3),” the report says.
Committing misconduct ‘with impunity’
Quoting a memorandum by the parliamentary commissioner for standards the committee report says says Pincher’s conduct has done “significant” damage to public life.
Not only were the individuals involved harmed – but the incident feeds a public perception that MPs “do not have to abide by normal standards of behaviour and can commit acts of misconduct with impunity”.
“The damage that has been caused to the reputation and integrity of the House and its Members cannot be described as trivial, unnoteworthy, or not important to address,” the Commissioner said.
“The damage is significant. It involves behaviour that by any standards was shocking, deeply inappropriate, and adversely impacted two unsuspecting individuals who had no expectation that they would be subjected to such behaviour.”
The commissioner added: “Further, it was conduct that risks advancing a misplaced public perception that Members of Parliament do not have to abide by normal standards of behaviour and can commit acts of misconduct with impunity.
‘A full on grope’
The committee report reproduces a contemporaneous text message from one of the MP’s alleged victims showing their reaction to the incident.
In it, the man describes Mr Pincher’s action as a “full on grope”.
[Witness 3] at 00:39: omg pincher just groped me
[redacted] at 00:39: Oh god horrible
Don’t except it
[Witness 3] at 08:01: [Three sad face emojis]
[redacted] at 08:04: You ok?
[Witness 3] at 09:35: Was full on gripe Im
Okay
‘He squeezed my arse’
The committee report includes a transcript of part of the interview with Witness 3, one of the alleged victims. It makes for difficult reading, and describes in detail exactly what is claimed to have happened.
[Witness 3]: He squeezed my arse and then he moved his hand around to the front, then he’s moved his hand up. And then that’s when it finished.
[… ]
[ICGS investigator]: Now, so there’s no confusion over what the groin area means, can you just tell me exactly where he touches you?
[Witness 3]: So he brings his hand round, and then he kind of grabs where my testicles are and then kind of squeezed at that point.
[ICGS investigator]: Right. So he’s touched your testicles and you felt him squeeze?
[Witness 3]: Yeah.
‘I am now taking medication’
The two alleged victims says the incident has had a significant and lasting impact on them – with one taking medication and the other continuing to suffer from sleep problems.
“I have become increasingly anxious as a result of the incident, and I am now taking medication to manage my anxiety,” Witness 3 says.
“I am also fearful about whether this incident will impact my job and future career plans. After the incident, I stopped exercising, which has resulted in my gaining a lot of weight. I have also been subject to rumours about the incident and speculation about my involvement.”
The other alleged victim, formally identified in the report as “the complainant”, says: “I found the incidents with Mr Pincher to be traumatic and the incidents continue to significantly affect my sleep whenever I have to recount Mr Pincher’s behaviour.”
