Rishi Sunak faces a deeply problematic fourth by-election after another Conservative MP resigned, this time over allegations of personal misconduct.
David Warburton, MP for Somerton and Frome, has announced his resignation in the face of allegations of harassment and drug use.
To compound the prime minister’s woes, video has emerged of Tory staff throwing a party during Covid-19 restrictions, apparently flagrantly flouting the rules at a Christmas party in 2020.
It is the first video released of such an event and Michael Gove, the housing secretary, told the BBC that the public would be “very outraged” by the images of people dancing and drinking in the video.
Sunak is already facing problems on multiple fronts, the most serious of which is the mounting mortgage crisis as borrowing rates continue to rise, threatening more economic distress ahead of next year’s general election.
Drinking and dancing at a party at Governors’ Residence in December 2020 © Mirror
Drinking and dancing at a party at Governors’ Residence in December 2020
Meanwhile, MPs will vote on Monday on whether to approve a report condemning former Prime Minister Boris Johnson for lying to Parliament and other contempt.
Johnson and two of his allies—Nigel Adams and Nadine Dorries—announced they were stepping down as MPs, creating three unwanted by-elections for prime minister, although Dorris had yet to formally resign.
Warburton’s departure after a scandal led to his removal from Parliament for over a year, would create an opportunity for the Liberal Democrats to win a major victory in the by-election.
Warburton won the seat of Somerset in 2019 by a large majority of 19,213, but the seat was previously held by the Lib Dems and will remain in their sights.
Conservative MP Tell the Mail on Sunday He was resigning because he was denied a fair hearing by the parliamentary probationary body looking into investigations into his molestation of two women.
“I was groomed but I was incredibly naive and stupid,” said Warburton, who admitted to using cocaine.
Sunak tried to present himself as a break with the Conservative Party’s recent past, but was dragged back by past episodes of malfeasance within the party.
The House of Commons will vote on Monday to approve the report of the Privileges Committee, which has criticized Johnson for repeatedly lying to MPs on the party issue.
The report, which proposes barring Johnson from earlier parliamentary clearance, may be adopted without a formal vote. It also proposed a 90-day suspension from the House of Commons, but Johnson resigned before it could be paid for.
Johnson asked his supporters in Westminster not to vote against the report – a move that would reveal exactly how many Tory MPs are still willing to fight to defend his tarnished reputation.
Many Conservative MPs are expected to miss the vote, fearing a backlash from party members who still idolize Johnson and have been encouraged to campaign in the upcoming by-election instead.
Gove said he would abstain because he believed Johnson’s proposed 90-day suspension was too harsh. Downing Street declined to say whether Sunak would be present at the discussion.
Echoes of the party’s cause continued to resonate after The Mirror on Saturday published video of a party at Tory headquarters featuring staff working for former Conservative mayoral candidate Sean Bailey, including dancing and drinking.
The police had previously investigated the incident but did not have enough evidence to file a lawsuit. Two of the attendees received awards in Johnson’s Resignation Honors List.