Well, there goes another one.
MPs have voted to suspend Peter Bone from the Commons for six weeks after an investigation found he had bullied and was sexually inappropriate around a former member of staff.
The move is likely to lead to a by-election in his Wellingborough constituency, a former Tory safe seat polling indicates could flip to Labour.
Parliament’s behaviour watchdog found Mr Bone had exposed himself to an aide and physically struck him.
Mr Bone denies the charges.
MP Peter Bone suspended from Commons for bullying, BBC News
Here’s some related coverage:
- Brexiteer MP who ‘exposed himself to aide and locked him in bathroom’ loses Tory whip, Conservatives shun Peter Bone after five claims of bullying and one of sexual misconduct upheld
- By-election likely after MPs vote to suspend Tory Peter Bone over sexual misconduct allegations, A by-election in Wellingborough seems likely as veteran Tory Peter Bone faces a six week suspension from Parliament.
- Brexiteer Tory MP who ‘exposed himself to staff member and trapped him in hotel bathroom’ facing suspension, Peter Bone, who denies the allegations, was also found to have ‘repeatedly pressurised’ employee to give him a massage in the office
- Peter Bone: Ex-Tory MP accused of sexual misconduct and bullying suspended from Commons for six weeks, The sanction means he will face a recall petition in his constituency, which could lead to yet another by-election for Rishi Sunak’s party.
- Peter Bone’s abuse ‘left me broken’, says Tory Brexiteer’s former aide, In an interview the ex-staff member said Mr Bone’s behaviour was ‘often explosive’
- Spare us devout MPs like Peter Bone. If we ever had faith in them, it is long gone, Despite a direct line to grace, the moralising politician fell short when it came to morals about bullying
The Independent Expert Panel (IEP) has today published a report which finds that Mr Peter Bone MP “committed many varied acts of bullying and one act of sexual misconduct” against a member of his staff in 2012 and 2013. It has recommended that he is suspended from the House for six weeks. A suspension of this length triggers the Recall of MPs Act 2015.
Independent Expert Panel recommends suspending Peter Bone MP for bullying and sexual misconduct, parliament.uk