David Warburton has resigned after a newspaper published allegations of sexual misconduct
A Conservative MP who was suspended following allegations of sexual misconduct has resigned.
David Warburton, who represents Somerton and Frome in Somerset, is the fourth Tory MP in eight days to announce their resignation.
Mr Warburton said the past 14 months since allegations were published in a national newspaper had been “extraordinarily difficult”.
He added that the allegations about him had been “malicious”.
The MP had been accused of taking drugs and making unwanted advances towards two women, leading to his suspension from the Conservatives in April last year.
His immediate departure means there will be a by-election arranged in his seat, which he has represented as an independent since losing the Tory whip.
Mr Warburton had taken the constituency from the Liberal Democrats in 2015, was re-elected in 2017 and 2019. He won with a majority of 19,213 in that last poll.
“My constituents in Somerton and Frome who elected me three times with overwhelming majorities have for a year been deprived of the voice they need,” said Mr Warburton.
“I am so grateful for their many messages of support, and it is with sorrow that I have no choice but to provoke the upheaval of a by-election.”
He also said in his three-page resignation letter he had been denied a fair hearing by the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) and prevented from “speaking out” while it investigated the accusations.
He joins Boris Johnson and Nigel Adams who resigned last week triggering by-elections in their constituencies.
Nadine Dorries also announced her resignation, but said her departure would not be immediate as she wanted to stay while she seeks to investigate how she was denied a seat in the Lords on Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list.
