A Conservative MP has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy, ending his parliamentary career. Imran Ahmad Khan, then MP for Wakefield, was convicted in April of assaulting the teenager after plying him with gin at a party in Staffordshire in 2008, 11 years before he entered Parliament. He resigned as an MP two weeks after the verdict.
The case is one of several sexual misconduct allegations against MPs that have come to light in recent years. Conservative MP Neil Parish, for Tiverton and Honiton, admitted watching pornography on his phone in the House of Commons. He initially claimed the first occasion was an accident, but conceded the second was deliberate, and announced his resignation. Another Conservative, David Warburton, had the whip removed after being accused by three women of sexual misconduct, including an allegation that he climbed into bed naked with one woman and groped her; he denies any wrongdoing.
In a separate case, Conservative MP Rob Roberts was allowed to rejoin the party despite an independent investigation finding he sexually harassed a junior member of staff. He was suspended for 12 weeks after the panel found he made repeated and unwanted sexual advances. Former minister Andrew Griffiths was also found by a High Court judge to have raped his wife and subjected her to coercive control, allegations he adamantly denied. He resigned as an MP in 2019. Charlie Elphicke, former MP for Dover, was jailed in 2020 for sexually assaulting two women; the sentencing judge called him a sexual predator.
Allegations have not been limited to the Conservative Party. Labour MP Mike Hill resigned after an employment tribunal ruled he repeatedly sexually assaulted and harassed a parliamentary staff member. Another Labour MP, for Barrow and Furness, quit the party amid allegations of inappropriate texts, which he denied; the investigation was not concluded. Conservative Sir Michael Fallon also resigned as defence secretary in 2017, admitting his past behaviour towards women had fallen short.
