Pressure on Chris Pincher to resign as MP intensifies

Calls for the former Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher to resign as an MP have intensified from within his Tamworth constituency.

Mr Pincher, who stepped down from his government job in July, was suspended from the parliamentary party following allegations he groped two men at a private members club in London.

He apologised for drinking "far too much" and embarrassing himself "and other people".

Mr Pincher continues to sit as an independent MP, but were he to resign it would trigger a by-election in the Staffordshire seat he has held since 2010.

The furore surrounding the case has caused deep divisions within the local Tory party.

In July, the former Conservative leader of Tamworth Council, Daniel Cook said he too had been "groped" by Mr Pincher on two occasions dating back to 2005 and 2006 - accusations Mr Pincher strongly denied.

Since then Mr Cook and six fellow Conservative councillors have left the party and formed a new independent group, called Independent Future which is now the official opposition on the authority.

Speaking on the BBC's Politics Midlands, Mr Cook said the atmosphere within the local party had become toxic.

"It tore the Conservative Party in Tamworth apart, the ugly part of it certainly came to the fore, and there were many of us which just couldn't stand to watch it couldn't stand to be a part of it," he said.

Behind the scenes a number of Conservatives have said they see no way back for the man who precipitated the fall of Boris Johnson.

However, locally some of those who have called for Mr Pincher to go, said they believed attempts were being made to rehabilitate his image.

The pressure for a resolution has intensified as the deadline for Conservative MPs to state whether or not they intend to run at the next general election approaches.

The Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) has set the cut-off for Monday.

On Monday night an extraordinary meeting of Tamworth Borough Council was held, and outside several dozen protesters gathered calling for Mr Pincher to resign.

Claire Lewis who helped organise the demonstration said: "I'm hoping Mr Pincher does the right thing and resigns.

"He's obviously not about in the community… and we're kind of MP-less as such, so we would like a by-election so the people of Tamworth can decide."

Responding to those calls the deputy leader of the local Conservatives councillor Robert Pritchard said the future of the MP was something local members "didn't have control over" and they were "waiting for the outcome of the investigation".

Mr Pincher is currently subject to an investigation opened on 20 October by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Katherine Stone.

The parliamentary website says it relates to "actions causing significant damage to the reputation of the House".

Talking on Politics Midlands, Conservative MP Philip Dunne said Mr Pincher was "innocent until proven otherwise".

In response to Mr Dunne's comment, Labour MP Jess Philips responded: "I don't think we'd feel that way if this was a teacher in my son's school or a police officer."

Mr Pincher's office declined a request to be interviewed, saying he was not available.

However, in a Facebook post last month he said: "It's been a really very difficult few months for me and my family.

"I've been lucky to receive some very good medical and mental health support which has helped, and I'm still taking medication.

"I've been doing casework along with my office team to try to ensure constituents get the help they need or get their issues addressed."