Tories reinstate MPs suspended over sex allegations for confidence vote

Two Conservative MPs who had the party whip removed after being accused of sexually inappropriate conduct will be allowed to vote in Wednesday’s crucial ballot to decide whether to sack Theresa May.

Andrew Griffiths, the prime minister’s former chief of staff and the MP for Burton and Uttoxeter, and Charlie Elphicke, a Brexiter and the MP for Dover and Deal, were both registered on Wednesday as eligible voters, party sources confirmed.

Griffiths, 48, resigned as a minister in July and suspended from the whip after sending hundreds of sexually explicit messages to two women in his constituency. He was also accused of bullying a council leader for several years when May took office in July 2016.

At a meeting in August, his local association members were told there would not be a decision on his future until the outcome of an independent investigation being carried out by Conservative Campaign Headquarters.

Griffiths was promoted to minister for small business in January despite being under investigation over allegations of inappropriate touching and bullying by Deneice Florence-Jukes, a former Tory borough councillor, who had filed a formal complaint three months earlier.

“I will be supporting [May] in tonight’s ballot,” he told local news website Derbyshire Live on Wednesday.

Dawn Butler, the shadow women and equalities secretary, said: “It is a betrayal of women for the Tories to let an MP who was suspended for sexual harassment back into their party just to allow them to vote for Theresa May in the leadership challenge.”

Elphicke was suspended from the Conservative party in November 2017 and was interviewed under caution by police in March after allegations of sex offences. He vehemently denies claims of any ‘criminal wrongdoing”.

On Wednesday, Elphicke wrote on Twitter that he had had the Conservative whip restored, but has not said how he plans to vote.

“Important for my constituents to know that, 13 months after having it withdrawn, I have been given back the Conservative whip.

“I remain as confident as I always have been of clearing my name and will continue to work as hard for Dover & Deal as I always have done,” he wrote.

Jess Phillips, the Labour MP for Yardley and a campaigner for women who have been abused, said the decision to restore the whip to two men who were still under formal investigation was “totally despicable”.

“The message it sends to every person who has complained, those who gave evidence to the Cox inquiry and every person who has been abused, is that the prime minister is not on your side.

“When Theresa May said she wanted parliament and politics to change, she lied,” she said.