Alleged victim urges Tory Chief Whip to name Conservative former minister accused of rape

The Conservative Chief Whip's defence for failing to suspend an MP accused of rape was undermined by the alleged victim on Monday as she urged him to name the Tory who was arrested at the weekend.

Mark Spencer said he did not want to "do anything to identify the victim", suggesting that publicly withdrawing the whip from the senior Conservative would jeopardise the anonymity of the woman he is accused of attacking.

But the former parliamentary worker said the excuse did not hold water because she did not work for the accused MP and so does not believe there is a risk of her identity becoming known.

The woman last night said she was “devastated” that the MP she accuses of rape has not had the whip suspended.

“I feel like the Chief Whip has never taken my allegations seriously or even cared,” she said in a statement to ITV News.

“Since the news of the arrest, the Chief Whip, or anyone from the party, has not contacted me at all.

“They seem to care more about protecting the MP and the party than protecting victims and other women.”

The woman also told friends she had contacted the Chief Whip's office on Sunday asking for a meeting to discuss the case but had not received a reply.

She claimed that when she tried to detail the multiple allegations against the MP, Mr Spencer tried to change the subject and talked over her.

He disputes the woman's version of their conversation.

Mr Spencer has come under mounting pressure from some MPs to remove the whip from the MP in question, in the same way that former Tory MP Charlie Elphicke lost the whip in 2017 when he was first accused of sexual assaults that led to his conviction by a jury last week.

Losing the whip, or having it withdrawn, effectively means an MP or peer is expelled from their party. However, they do not lose their seat. Until the whip is restored, they sit as an independent in the chamber.

Speaking for the first time since the MP's arrest on Saturday, Mr Spencer said: "They are very serious allegations, and we do take those allegations very seriously. I think it is down to the police to do that thorough investigation, not for the Whips' Office to investigate this alleged crime, it is for the police and the authorities to do that.

"Once they've come to that conclusion, then we can assess where we're at and the position that the MP finds themselves in.

"Of course, we've got to bear in mind the victim – we don't want to do anything to identify the victim at the same time."

However, the alleged victim told friends that she does not accept that suspending and naming the MP would put her anonymity at risk.

She told a friend: "His defence today that he can't name the MP because it would identify me is rubbish. I didn't work for this MP, and in any case I have lifelong anonymity so there is no risk of me being 'outed' in the press."

Mr Spencer has also faced criticism for failing to investigate when the woman first discussed her complaints with him on April 1. He has said the woman did not make him aware of any allegations of sexual abuse, but she has told friends he has "deliberately misrepresented" the conversation and finds his response "insulting".

She says she talked through the details of alleged sexual abuse with the Members and Peers Staff Association (Mapsa) in Parliament and that the body passed on her report to Mr Spencer, who told her he had been made aware of the claims.

She told friends that, when she tried to go into more detail during their conversation in April, "he spoke over me and changed the subject".

The woman also claims to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of her alleged ordeal and has said she cannot lead a normal life.

A spokesman for Mr Spencer has said he was not made aware of any allegations of sexual abuse, and advised the woman to make a complaint to Parliament's independent grievance body.

The spokesman said of the woman's request for a meeting: "Now that a police investigation is under way, it would be completely inappropriate for the Chief Whip to discuss the case with the alleged victim. The matter is now in the hands of the police.”

Anne Milton, the former Conservative deputy Chief Whip, said the MP in question should give up the whip voluntarily while the investigation was carried out, saying it would not amount to "an admission of guilt".

Tory MPs have expressed concerns about the Chief Whip's handling of the case, while Labour has condemned the decision not to remove the whip from the former minister.

Downing Street, meanwhile, refused to say when Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, became aware of the allegations, saying it would be inappropriate to comment while a police investigation was ongoing.

The Metropolitan Police received allegations on Friday of sexual offences and assault relating to four incidents at addresses in London, including in Westminster.

The MP was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of rape and taken into custody at an east London police station. He has been released on bail to a date in mid-August.

The shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding, Jess Phillips, said it sent a "terrible message" that senior figures are still able to secure "protection" with their Westminster status.

She said: "While pending a police investigation for a sexual crime, I think it is only right that the whip is withdrawn."