Tory MP accused of rape to stay away when Parliament returns in September

Conservative Party says the unnamed politician has agreed to steer clear of Commons when summer recess ends

westminster
(Image credit: Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

The former Conservative minister arrested on suspicion of rape will not return to Westminister next month, amid growing calls for his suspension from Parliament.

The as-of-yet unnamed senior Tory figure figure is understood to have “voluntarily agreed” to stay away from the Commons after the summer recess ends on 1 September, “but will continue to represent his constituents from home”, The Guardian says.

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Joe Evans is the world news editor at TheWeek.co.uk. He joined the team in 2019 and held roles including deputy news editor and acting news editor before moving into his current position in early 2021. He is a regular panellist on The Week Unwrapped podcast, discussing politics and foreign affairs. 

Before joining The Week, he worked as a freelance journalist covering the UK and Ireland for German newspapers and magazines. A series of features on Brexit and the Irish border got him nominated for the Hostwriter Prize in 2019. Prior to settling down in London, he lived and worked in Cambodia, where he ran communications for a non-governmental organisation and worked as a journalist covering Southeast Asia. He has a master’s degree in journalism from City, University of London, and before that studied English Literature at the University of Manchester.