MP Julian Knight fresh new misconduct allegations, BBC is told

Four women person made complaints to parliamentary authorities astir MP Julian Knight since constabulary dropped an probe into him, the BBC has been told.

The caller complaints are thought to allege inappropriate comments and behaviour.

The BBC has besides been told 5 antithetic women raised intersexual misconduct allegations astir him to the police.

Mr Knight, who is MP for Solihull, has powerfully denied wrongdoing.

The abstracted reports to constabulary and parliamentary authorities mean 9 women successful full are alleged to person made immoderate signifier of misconduct allegation astir Mr Knight, ranging from allegations of inappropriate comments to intersexual assault. This means allegations of wrongdoing are wider than antecedently thought. Mr Knight, who was elected to Parliament successful 2015, has repeatedly said determination was a "single" and "baseless" ailment made against him to the Metropolitan Police.

He said constabulary did not interrogation him earlier they closed the case, and that helium has not been made alert of "any details of allegations supposedly made subsequently against maine to immoderate parliamentary authorities".

A constabulary probe was launched into the MP successful December 2022 aft constabulary received allegations of superior intersexual assault.

Scotland Yard said it had received "allegations successful narration to unnamed victims" connected 28 October past year, earlier a further referral relating to the "incident{s}" was made connected 7 December.

The BBC has present been told 5 women, successful summation to third-party witnesses, had raised intersexual misconduct allegations astir him to the Metropolitan Police.

On 29 March 2023, constabulary dropped their probe into Mr Knight saying nary arrests had been made.

The Conservative whips bureau said astatine the clip it would not reconstruct Mr Knight arsenic a Tory MP pursuing "further complaints".

Chief whip Simon Hart said the complaints, if appropriate, "will beryllium referred to the applicable constabulary force, oregon due bodies".

Four women person made misconduct complaints to the parliamentary authorities astir Mr Knight, alleging inappropriate comments and behaviour, since the Met dropped their investigation, the BBC has been told.

The complaints are unrelated but the BBC understands immoderate of them allege a akin signifier of behaviour, claiming that Mr Knight had reached retired to women connected societal media to connection vocation enactment earlier aboriginal making inappropriate comments oregon approaches.

The allegations subordinate to the play helium has sat arsenic an MP, including during his tenure arsenic president of the Commons civilization committee.

After the constabulary dropped their investigation, helium accused the whips' bureau of making a connection astir "unspecified further complaints" which helium said "tarnished my sanction and near my household and maine successful limbo".

He besides said helium had tried to "discover the quality of these allegations truthful that I could contradict them, since I cognize I americium blameworthy of nary wrong-doing".

But helium added that "no occupation oregon governmental vocation is worthy this".

He has stated that helium volition beryllium arsenic an autarkic MP until the adjacent wide predetermination but volition not basal again and has "no choice" but to relinquish his presumption arsenic seat of the civilization committee.

Mr Knight recused himself from parliament portion constabulary were investigating him but has since returned.

Unions successful parliament person raised concerns astir the procedures successful narration to safeguarding of unit successful parliament.

Mike Clancy, wide caput of Prospect, said: "Trade unions person been pushing for immoderate clip for Parliament to person the quality to exclude MPs from Westminster if superior accusations are made astir them. But we are inactive waiting for factual action.

"The thought that Parliament tin simply stay neutral and uninvolved erstwhile allegations are made against an MP is outdated, regressive and retired of kilter with champion practice.

"The Conservative Party's refusal to instrumentality the whip suggests that they person superior concerns astir this idiosyncratic and if that is the lawsuit past transparency is captious for worker safety.

He added: "If Parliament has accusation astir perchance superior misbehaviour, what enactment tin it reasonably instrumentality to guarantee the information of staff, visitors and different MPs?

"The House of Commons Commission launched a consultation connected MP exclusion successful December past year.

"Concern is increasing astatine the deficiency of enactment since then. Allegations of MP misconduct bash not look to beryllium going away, Parliament needs to bring guardant proposals arsenic rapidly arsenic possible."

Certain parliamentary figures successful complaint of subject - similar enactment whips - bash not person the powerfulness to halt an MP coming into parliament.

They usually trust connected informal agreements with MPs accused of misconduct, asking them to enactment distant portion investigations are ongoing.

If an MP is investigated by parliament's standards committee, oregon the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) that was acceptable up to analyse bullying oregon harassment cases against MPs, they tin look a suspension, if these bodies urge one.

For an MP to beryllium investigated by the IEP, a study indispensable beryllium made and upheld astir them to parliament's Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS).

Police tin prohibition MPs from parliament if they apprehension somebody, merchandise them connected bail, but marque it a bail information to enactment distant from that workplace.

In a statement, Julian Knight told the BBC: "As I person repeatedly said, I americium afloat alert of the circumstances of the azygous ailment made against maine to the Metropolitan Police and the motivations of those progressive successful making it.

"This baseless ailment was dismissed by the constabulary without their adjacent feeling the request to interrogation me, which they ne'er did.

"I person not been made alert of immoderate details of allegations supposedly made subsequently against maine to immoderate Parliamentary authorities.

'Nor americium I the taxable of immoderate probe by parliament's Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme.

"Should I go the taxable of immoderate specified investigation, I volition afloat and publically support myself against immoderate allegations.

"Meanwhile, it is deplorable that, contempt the constabulary decision, I stay the taxable of what appears to beryllium a smear run conducted done leaks, mendacious innuendo and briefings."