Rishi Sunak urged to sack minister who brought flasher MP out door-knocking

29 October 2023 , 19:06

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Rishi Sunak is under pressure to sack a minister who went out canvassing with an alleged sex pest MP barred from the Commons.

Tom Pursglove, a minister in the Department for Work and Pensions, was photographed by The Sunday Mirror doorknocking with Peter Bone, who was last week given a six week suspension - potentially triggering a by-election. Labour says it is a sign of the "abject lack of integrity" at the heart of the Tory Party.

Earlier today Science Secretary Michelle Donelan questioned whether he should have been out and about after he had the Tory whip withdrawn. She said: "If you're not a Conservative you shouldn't be advertising and promoting the Conservative Party, I mean that seems like common sense to me."

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Peter Bone (right) with DWP minister Tom Pursglove in Northamptonshire on Saturday (Reach Commissioned)

MPs approved the six-week ban after a Parliamentary watchdog upheld bullying and sexual misconduct allegations against Mr Bone. He has denied flashing his private parts at an aide in a hotel in Madrid and bullying.

Labour chair Anneliese Dodds has written to the Prime Minister saying it is “totally inappropriate” for Mr Bone to be out canvassing on Saturday. She asked whether it was sanctioned by Tory HQ.

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Ms Dodds said: “This whole sorry affair speaks to the abject lack of integrity left within the Parliamentary Conservative Party." She added: "No one should have to suffer the abuse detailed in the investigation into his alleged conduct. It is extremely disappointing that Conservative MPs like Tom Pursglove appear not to agree."

In a letter to the PM she asked whether the party sanctioned Mr Bone joining Mr Pursglove. She wrote: "If not, what action will be taken against Tom Pursglove? Will he retain the Conservative whip and his ministerial post?

"If so, what does this say about the Conservative Party’s attitude towards these allegations and victims of such abuse?" No10 has been contacted for comment.

Mr Pursglove yesterday refused to justify his decision to campaign with a shamed MP when confronted by the Sunday Mirror. Asked if he thought it was appropriate to be out canvassing with Mr Bone, he remained silent.

When we approached Mr Bone during his door-knocking on an estate, he replied: “I’d love to talk to you but we’re out canvassing. Have a nice day.” He then waved cheerfully as he and Mr Pursglove drove off together.

Parliament's Independent Expert Panel (IEP) found Mr Bone had indecently exposed himself to a former staffer in a hotel room during a work trip to Madrid. Despite being suspended as an MP, Mr Bone joined Mr Pursgrove, 34, campaigning in Corby, Northamptonshire, on Saturday.

Mr Pursglove, who has been an MP since 2015, is a former Vice Chair of the Conservative Party. He worked as a Home Office minister before being moved to the Department for Work and Pensions a year ago. A parliamentary sleaze investigation found a fortnight ago that Mr Bone had trapped an aide in a Madrid hotel room in 2013 and exposed his private parts to him. A watchdog said he had repeatedly asked his researcher to give him massages and threw pens and other office equipment at him. In one incident, Mr Bone is alleged to have struck the aide on the back of his head and told him: “You’re having a thick day and I thought that would help”.

The Commons accepted the findings of the report on Wednesday evening and Mr Bone was handed his suspension, which could lead to him facing a by-election. But just days later, Mr Pursglove, 34, was pictured by the Mirror knocking doors alongside Mr Bone in his Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, constituency on Saturday morning ahead of a local council election. Mr Pursglove is the MP for the neighbouring seat.

Another nightmare by-election for the Tories looms as Wellingborough residents choose whether to boot out Mr Bone, who currently has a 18,540 majority. If 10% of voters in the constituency sign a so-called recall petition by December 19, then a by-election is triggered.

Mr Bone's alleged victim said the experience had left him as a "broken shell". Speaking to the BBC, he said: "Peter's behaviour was erratic. His temper was often explosive. I described it as like a, like a pendulum. He would go from one type of, kind of, personality to another. It was very hard to predict. And that kind of... left me feeling quite under siege... a kind of siege mentality in terms of the relentless shouting, the screaming, the hitting. The physical, emotional, psychological abuse as well as what happened later was just constantly on my mind. It was relentless to be honest."