City of Chester

[Ben Walker]

TBC

[LDCaerdydd]

[LDCaerdydd]

Fair play you did say you were expecting a resignation!

[Ben Walker]

He'll be resigning his seat later today.

[The Bishop]

Well this is....unexpected.

I have heard rumours about certain Labour MPs regarding this sort of thing, but he wasn't one of them.

[Deleted]

A four week suspension is, in a way, substantial - but for ‘serious sexual misconduct’?
Or is it that if you’re suspended that long it’s a hint for you to go?

[Pete Whitehead]

I'd completely forgotten that Chester had gone Tory in 2010 - I was thinking it had been Labour held since 1997

[CatholicLeft]

Resigning should spin a negative into a positive - compare and contrast to Tamworth (yes, I know no similar punishment meted out, but that is because it wasn't on Westminster property, where I assume this was, whatever it is).

[finsobruce]

Oct 21, 2022 10:24:59 GMT @johnyorks said:

A four week suspension is, in a way, substantial - but for ‘serious sexual misconduct’?
Or is it that if you’re suspended that long it’s a hint for you to go?

Not quite sure why this is only on deeside.com but here you go...

www.deeside.com/conduct-panel-recommends-suspending-chester-mp-christian-matheson-for-serious-sexual-misconduct/

[Ben Walker]

His resignation statement:

I have today, with great sadness, tendered my resignation as Member of Parliament for the City of Chester.


This follows publication of a report which had found me guilty of sexual misconduct.


From the start I accepted I had committed a minor breach of the code and had hoped that an honest and open approach would stand me in a fair light. This has proven not to be the case and I am dismayed that I have been found guilty of several allegations that I know to be untrue. Indeed my insistence on what I know to be true – that I had no sexual motivation in this matter - was held against me as a refusal to accept my guilt, and caused an increased sanction which I felt was disproportionate.


Despite provable factual inaccuracies in the sanctions report, my appeal against sanction was not even considered, for the same reason.


Therefore, I faced a suspension from the House of four weeks. Whilst I believe that this is an excessive and unfair penalty, I cannot challenge the process further. I believe that the honourable and right thing to do now is to resign my seat and seek to rebuild my life elsewhere. I would ask for privacy for my family. This matter has also caused a great toll on my health, requiring my hospitalisation, and I ask that my privacy is respected while I recover.


I will forever be grateful to my constituency, and my party, for giving me the honour to serve, and I apologise to the people of Chester, and to the House of Commons, for the disrepute I have brought. I once again apologise to the complainant in my case, for the hurt I have caused.

[Ben Walker]

Report here:
www.parliament.uk/business/news/2022/october-2022/independent-expert-panel-recommends-suspending-christian-matheson-mp-for-serious-sexual-misconduct/

[bsjmcr]

Really hope this doesn’t get called ‘Red Wall’… probably wishful thinking on my part…

[Merseymike]

Do find it a bit odd that other allegations remain on file with regard to other MP's - a definite lack of consistency here.

[🏴‍☠️ Neath West 🏴‍☠️]

Oct 21, 2022 10:13:41 GMT Ben Walker said:

He'll be resigning his seat later today.

No, he'll be applying for an office of profit under the Crown.

[🏴‍☠️ Neath West 🏴‍☠️]

Oct 21, 2022 10:31:08 GMT Ben Walker said:

Report here:
www.parliament.uk/business/news/2022/october-2022/independent-expert-panel-recommends-suspending-christian-matheson-mp-for-serious-sexual-misconduct/

Utterly ridiculous and overblown bit of he said, she said by the look of it. That Standards Commissioner really needs to go.

[cogload]

Pincher, Roberts..etc etc..

[Merseymike]

Oct 21, 2022 10:41:48 GMT 🏴‍☠️ Neath West 🏴‍☠️ said:

Oct 21, 2022 10:31:08 GMT Ben Walker said:

Report here:
www.parliament.uk/business/news/2022/october-2022/independent-expert-panel-recommends-suspending-christian-matheson-mp-for-serious-sexual-misconduct/

Utterly ridiculous and overblown bit of he said, she said by the look of it. That Standards Commissioner really needs to go.

There needs to be consistency. And MPs need to remember not to make passes at their staff as there is a power imbalance there. I don't see that principle changing.

[johnloony]

I predict that Gyles Brandreth will be the Conservative candidate and will get 85% of the votes in the by-election.

[🏴‍☠️ Neath West 🏴‍☠️]

Oct 21, 2022 10:46:17 GMT Merseymike said:

Oct 21, 2022 10:41:48 GMT 🏴‍☠️ Neath West 🏴‍☠️ said:

Utterly ridiculous and overblown bit of he said, she said by the look of it. That Standards Commissioner really needs to go.

There needs to be consistency. And MPs need to remember not to make passes at their staff as there is a power imbalance there. I don't see that principle changing.

It just gives carte blanche to disgruntled former staffers to make up allegations. It doesn't work.

[Merseymike]

Oct 21, 2022 10:48:33 GMT 🏴‍☠️ Neath West 🏴‍☠️ said:

Oct 21, 2022 10:46:17 GMT Merseymike said:

There needs to be consistency. And MPs need to remember not to make passes at their staff as there is a power imbalance there. I don't see that principle changing.

It just gives carte blanche to disgruntled former staffers to make up allegations. It doesn't work.

Just following the guidelines proposed and agreed by your government