Boris Johnson is under increasing pressure to reveal what he knew about allegations of inappropriate behaviour about Chris Pincher when he was appointed deputy chief whip.
Labour chairwoman Anneliese Dodds has written to the PM asking for details about what No. 10 knew about the claims.
“Only Boris Johnson could have looked at this guy’s record and thought ‘he deserves a promotion,” she said. Minister Therese Coffey said the PM was unaware of “specific allegations”.
Mr Pincher is now facing six new claims of unfair treatment for several years, which he has denied. His resignation last week was the second time he stepped back from the whip office.
He resigned in 2017 after Conservative candidate Alex Storey accused him of making little advances.
In a statement, Ms Dodds accused the prime minister of being “happy to remove sexual misconduct under the carpet to save her skin”. He also questioned why the Tory whip was not suspended until Friday, two days after the alleged incident at London’s Carlton Club.
Ms Coffey, the Secretary for Work and Pensions, said that “to the best of my knowledge”, the prime minister was not aware of the specific allegations about Pincher when he was appointed to the whip office in February.
He said that he had not spoken directly to the Prime Minister and had received assurances from the No. 10 Press Office.
There are suggestions that the upcoming elections for the executive of the 1922 Committee backbench group of MPs could lead to a confidence vote for the prime minister sooner than is currently allowed under existing party rules.
The change would mean that a second confidence vote could be held if 90 Tory MPs – 25% – submit letters to the 1922 leadership.
Mr Pincher remains an independent MP for Tamworth in Staffordshire.
