Anger as Tory again insists sex offender former MP is innocent

A FORMER justice minister has come under fire for repeating his claim that the child sex abuse conviction of a fellow Tory MP was a ‘serious miscarriage of justice’.

Imran Khan, who has since resigned as MP for the ‘Red Wall’ constituency of Wakefield, was found guilty last month of reaching into a 15-year-old’s bunk bed to grope him after forcing the boy to drink gin at a party in 2008.

Shortly after the verdict, Reigate MP Crispin Blunt, pictured, launched an astonishing attack on the conviction, labelling it an ‘international scandal’.

He removed the post from his website and Twitter page, insisting: ‘I do not condone any form of abuse.’

But in an interview with BBC One’s Politics South East yesterday, he stood by his defence of Khan, who was thrown out of the Conservative Party following the verdict. A by-election will be held in Wakefield next month. Khan, 48, who is due to be sentenced on May 23, is appealing against his conviction.

Mr Blunt said: ‘I remain confident [Khan] will win his appeal and I will be distressed about our justice system if he doesn’t.’

The MP, who is standing down at the next election, admitted he did not attend the whole trial or hear the witness evidence, but said: ‘I know what decisions were made within the trial, which meant that, in my judgment, he did not get a fair trial or anything remotely like that.’

Labour is calling for the whip to removed from Mr Blunt. Justice spokesman Steve Reed said: ‘The Conservatives’ claims to be the party of law and order and on the side of victims can never be taken seriously ever again.’

A Tory party spokesman said: ‘Mr Blunt’s views are wholly unacceptable.’