IT was the story which knocked Donald Tusk condemning Brexiteers to an eternity in hell off our front page – and the saga of Ross Thomson and the Westminster bar has taken several twists and turns already.
It all kicked off at 1.30pm on Wednesday, when politics blog Guido Fawkes uploaded a post concerning Thomson’s alleged behaviour in the Strangers’ Bar in the Commons the previous night.
Alongside a photo of a grinning Thomson, it declared: “Police Called as Drunk Tory MP Gropes Young Men in Strangers’ Bar.”
The report said: “An eyewitness who saw the incident unfold inside the bar told Guido the story... 'he was in Strangers last night drunk and was groping young men who had guest passes on'.”
The story was immediately seized on by newspaper and television journalists at Westminster and Holyrood.
Police confirmed there had been an incident of “sexual touching” but no charges or complaints.
READ MORE: Tory MP was ‘so drunk he couldn’t speak’ in the bar
Thomson’s Tory colleagues started briefing newspapers.
One told The Herald: “I have been worried about Ross. He has been under a lot of pressure with the workload and Brexit.”
Another said: “When something like this happens, you realise how little support there is for people.”
After FMQs on Thursday journalists cornered Scots Tory leader Jackson Carlaw. “I know enough to say that the alleged behaviour is completely unacceptable and falls well below the standard I think any of us would expect of any elected representative,” he said. “Inquiries are ongoing and we may have more to say at a later time.”
When asked if Thomson should “consider his position”, Carlaw replied: “I can say, and I’m quite happy to say, his behaviour is completely unacceptable.”
Friends of Thomson then suggested he was struggling with personal and work demons.
Some said he was “not enjoying his job as a MP”.
But Tory activists in the north-east were less sympathetic – nervous about whether he could damage the party’s chances of holding the coveted marginal seat at the next general election.
We were told to expect a written statement. But by Thursday night no such release had been sent out.
The story was in yesterday’s papers as well. The Times reported one witness had told them: “He was handsy, yes, and holding people all over, but it was in a bid to stand upright.”
Bizarrely, they said Thomson had been “holding on to bottoms, but in a bid not to fall on the floor”.
The paper reported that Lord Duncan of Springbank, a Scotland Office minister, and David Duguid, another Scottish Tory MP, tried to persuade him to leave. Finally, then, late yesterday morning Thomson posted a statement on Twitter.
“A series of serious allegations have been made against me that have featured in the media,” it said. “I would like to state that these allegations from anonymous sources are completely false.”
READ MORE: Scottish Tories slam Ross Thomson over bar 'groping' incident
But Catriona Matheson, the SNP’s head of communications at Westminster, seemed unconvinced by Thomson’s statement.
She wrote on Twitter: “This is a jaw-dropping statement from Ross Thomson. It was the talk of Parliament yesterday because the bar was packed and there were multiple eye-witnesses. I spoke to several people who were horrified by what they saw.”
All eyes, now of course, will be on the Conservative Party’s internal investigation and what witnesses and Thomson will say.
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