A TORY MP who has been accused of "groping" men in a Commons bar has denied the allegations, saying they are "completely false".
But Ross Thomson, who represents Aberdeen South, said he will still refer himself to the Conservative Party's Disciplinary Panel of the Code of Conduct.
He tweeted: "A series of serious allegations have been made against me that have been featured in the media.
"I would like to state that these allegations from anonymous sources are completely false. No complaint has been made to the Police, Parliament or the Conservative Party. Nevertheless in the interests of openness and transparency I am referring myself to the Conservative Party's Disciplinary Panel of the Code of Conduct. This has been a deeply distressing time for me and my family but I intend to be back at work on Monday."
Statement in response to recent media reports: pic.twitter.com/7THfbZ94c6
— 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗺𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗣 (@RossThomson_MP) February 8, 2019
Thomson's statement comes as a witness who saw him in a Commons bar told a newspaper the MP "was holding on to bottoms, but in a bid not to fall onto the floor".
Thomson, who represents Aberdeen South, was spoken to by officers after claims of men being groped in a parliamentary bar earlier this week.
The male witness who was present said he did not see any groping but described Thomson as “handsy”.
“He was handsy, yes, and holding people all over, but it was in a bid to stand upright,” he told The Times. Thomson had been “holding on to bottoms, but in a bid not to fall on the floor”.
The paper reported that Thomson was seen having drinks in a Commons bar at about 6pm on Tuesday. Officers were sent to Strangers’ Bar just after 11pm.
It is understood that they spoke to Thomson but did not arrest him or escort him from the premises.
Jackson Carlaw said the alleged behaviour of Ross Thomson, who represents Aberdeen South, fell “well below the standard I think any of us would expect”.
In the north-east, one senior Tory said local activists are becoming anxious they can not hold on to the Westminster seat of Aberdeen South at the next election if Thomson is the candidate. This person gave his concerns to The National after the claims over the MP’s behaviour hit the front pages of newspapers yesterday.
It comes after Thomson’s ex-husband, Douglas Mathewson, said the claims were a “good insight into why we are no longer together”.
Writing on Twitter, he said: “I believe the gravity of actions as reported in the public domain should be enough to show them what he is really like.”
At Westminster, David Mundell, when asked if Thomson was a fit person to represent Aberdeen South, replied: “That matter is under investigation [by the party] and because of that it would be inappropriate to make any comment on it.”
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