Former Conservative MP David Warburton has been found dead at his west London flat, aged 59. Warburton represented Somerton and Frome until June 2023, when he resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct and drug taking.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed they were called by the London Ambulance Service at 10:47am on Tuesday 26 August. A man in his 50s was pronounced dead at the scene. His death is being treated as unexpected but not suspicious, and his next of kin have been informed.
Warburton had been suspended by the Conservative Party in April 2022 pending an investigation into harassment and drug use claims. He admitted taking cocaine after drinking 'incredibly potent' Japanese whisky but denied harassment. In July 2023, the House of Commons said the investigation would no longer proceed, a decision Warburton described as 'overjoying' but noted the 'incalculable' personal toll.
First elected in 2015 with the country's biggest swing to the Tories, Warburton retained his seat in 2019 with a majority of over 19,000. During the first Covid lockdown, he lost six stone and was praised by then Health Secretary Matt Hancock for his fitness transformation, though colleagues suggested it resembled a 'mid-life crisis'.
Former Labour MP Simon Danczuk, who faced his own suspension over inappropriate messages, offered condolences on X, stating Warburton had been 'doing really well' recently.
