A British Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) has been arrested on suspicion of rape and drug possession, marking the latest challenging episode for the UK’s ruling party.
The arrest took place in Surrey, in the south of England, with the MP being detained on Wednesday morning. Subsequently, he was released on conditional bail as the investigation continues.
The arrested MP, Crispin Blunt, aged 63, confirmed his identity and the arrest in a statement posted on social media, known as X (formerly Twitter). In his statement, he mentioned that he had been interviewed twice concerning the incident. The first interview occurred three weeks ago when he reported his concerns about extortion, and the second took place earlier in the morning under caution after the arrest.
Blunt expressed his confidence that the investigation would ultimately result in no charges and stated that the arrest was unnecessary. He also noted that he remained fully prepared to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
Following his arrest, Crispin Blunt was immediately suspended by his party, a move that means he now sits as an independent member in the House of Commons.
This incident marks the latest in a series of arrests involving Tory MPs in recent years, posing another challenge for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s party, which has been grappling with various scandals. In May of the previous year, a Conservative lawmaker was reportedly arrested on allegations of rape and misconduct in public office, among other charges. In 2020, another Conservative MP faced arrest on rape allegations, although the individual was never publicly identified, and the investigation was dropped without charges.
The Conservative Party, under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, has been trailing the opposition Labour Party in opinion polls, with a general election expected next year. The Tories suffered significant losses in recent local elections, including one that resulted from MP Chris Pincher’s resignation after allegations of inappropriate conduct.
Additionally, on Wednesday, Tory MP Peter Bone received a six-week suspension from parliament for bullying and sexual misconduct involving a staff member, potentially leading to another parliamentary by-election.
