News / Politics

Metropolitan Police drops rape investigation into senior Tory MP

Sunday, 13 December 2020 6:40 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 13 December 2020 7:17 PM ]

The Met Police's decision to suddenly abandon their investigation into the accused Tory MP is bound to raise eyebrows across the House of Commons and beyond

The Metropolitan Police have stopped their investigation into a senior Tory MP who was arrested on accusation of rape back in the summer.

Conservative Party refuses to suspend rape-accused MP

Despite mounting pressure the Tories are refusing to suspend an MP who has been arrested on suspicion of committing rape.

The MP, who remains officially unnamed, was arrested on August 01 and subsequently released on bail.

However, a news and analysis outlet based in Scotland has revealed the accused MP's identity. According to Black Isle Media, he is Mark Francois, who has been the MP for the Rayleigh and Wickford constituency since 2010.

Francois is a former minister at the Ministry of Defense as well as a former minister for the armed forces.

After more than four months of investigation the Met Police now claims the case has not met “the evidential test”.

Underscoring that position, a Met Police spokeswoman said “no further action” would be taken following a “thorough investigation”.

At the time of the arrest the Conservative Party attracted widespread criticism after it refused to suspend Francois.

A spokesperson for the Conservative whips office – acting under the direction of Tory chief whip Mark Spencer – implied that the matter was exclusively for the police to investigate.

However, it is believed that Francois, 55, did not return to the House of Commons after the parliamentary recess ended on September 01.

This case comes on the heels of a string of sex-related scandals to hit the ruling Tory party.

Earlier this year, a newly-elected Tory MP was forced to issue an apology after an old video emerged of him exposing himself in a pub.