Tory accuses fellow MP of ‘putting hands up skirts’
Dan Poulter Central Suffolk/north Ipswich 20,144 Majority A FORMER health minister is being investigated after another Tory MP accused him of putting his hand up female MPS’ skirts.
Dan Poulter, who has served as an MP since 2010, has been referred to the Conservative Party’s disciplinary committee.
Andrew Bridgen, the Tory MP for North West Leicestershire, said that he had chosen to “call out the alleged inappropriate behaviour” of his colleague.
He said he made the complaint after three female MPS had told him they were “reluctant” to get in a lift with Dr Poulter after he allegedly put his hand up their skirts.
Writing in The Sunday Times, Mr Bridgen said: “I made a word-of-mouth complaint about him to the whips’ office in 2010, after complaints from three female MPS. They said they were reluctant to go into the lift with him after he reportedly put his hand up their skirts.”
A No 10 spokesman confirmed: “Following a conversation with him, the chief whip has referred Daniel Poulter to the party’s new disciplinary committee for further investigation.”
Downing Street did not say what Mr Poulter had been accused of.
A spokesman for Dr Poulter said he “denies all allegations of misconduct or inappropriate behaviour and will vigorously defend himself against any such claims”.
Allegations of inappropriate behaviour by the 39-year-old MP have been reported to The Daily Telegraph.
Mr Bridgen, the MP for North West Leicestershire, wrote: “I think we have to ask ourselves how we got into a situation where female Members of Parliament felt that they were in a position because of party loyalties, that they couldn’t report inappropriate behaviour.”