An MP who sexually assaulted a member of his staff on Monday will be reinstated to the Conservative party.
Rob Roberts, Delyn’s MP, began a 12-week suspension from the party on August 9 and was also suspended from Parliament for six weeks in May.
But on Monday he will be back as a party member.
However, the Tory whip – which would make him a Conservative MP to the Commons – will remain suspended, so he will continue as an independent MP.
When his 12-week party suspension was announced, his former employee told the BBC it was “disconcerting” that someone who had caused “so much concern among the younger members of the party could continue to join.”
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Earlier this year, an independent group found that Mr. Roberts sexually assaulted a member of his staff.
The former employee told the BBC that the MP had repeatedly proposed that he be “less attractive”.
Mr. Roberts said he apologized for a “completely improper” breach of trust in the relationship between MP and staff.
But due to a legal loophole, he didn’t face a revocation petition – which can lead to by-elections – as he was suspended by an independent panel rather than a parliamentary committee.
After Roberts’ case drew attention to this loophole in the rules, MPs voted to change them so members suspended for bullying or sexual harassment can now face a recall petition.
But the House rejected a Labor Party proposal to retroactively make these rule changes so they could apply to Roberts.
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