Ross Thomson confirms second investigation as banner calls for him to resign

A Scottish Conservative MP has confirmed he is under investigation by parliamentary standards authorities over claims he groped men while drunk in a Westminster bar.
Aberdeen MP Ross Thomson.Aberdeen MP Ross Thomson.
Aberdeen MP Ross Thomson.

A Scottish Conservative MP has confirmed he is under investigation by parliamentary standards authorities over claims he groped men while drunk in a Westminster bar.

Ross Thomson, the Aberdeen South MP, was allegedly spoken to by police and escorted from the building following the incident on 5 February.

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He denies the claims, and has referred himself for investigation under internal Conservative Party conduct procedures.

No complaints have been made to police, and no arrests were made.

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Tory MP Ross Thomson may face second probe over conduct

In a statement last week, Mr Thomson said that “these allegations from anonymous sources are completely false”.

Last night Mr Thomson ­confirmed that a second ­investigation was under way following a complaint to the House of Commons Standards Commissioner by an individual who was in Strangers’ Bar at the time of the alleged ­incident.

The Standards Commissioner’s office said it would not ­confirm or deny the existence of an investigation until it is concluded.

Among the sanctions available under the parliamentary code of conduct for MPs is the triggering of a recall petition, which would allow constituents to trigger a by-election.

On Monday, a banner calling on the MP to “resign now” appeared outside Mr Thomson’s constituency office in Aberdeen, and was also spotted draped across a footbridge over a busy road.

Mr Thomson, who took part in a session of the House of Commons Scottish affairs committee ­yesterday, condemned the stunt.

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He said: “I’m obviously at Westminster so the only people at the constituency office are my staff and any constituents who go in.

“It’s a place of work, and it’s not a very pleasant atmosphere for them.”

He added that he had been in touch with his Aberdeen office about the issue, and added that his staff “have had to deal with abuse and harassment before”.

It was also reported yesterday that CCTV footage from the bar has been requested under data protection rules in an attempt to confirm the ­allegations.

Under new EU General Data Protection Regulations, the footage must be provided within a month, although it is not clear whether individuals other than the person who requested the footage will be identifiable.

Last week the Scottish Conservative interim leader Jackson Carlaw said Mr Thomson’s “alleged behaviour is completely unacceptable”.