Tory MP Julian Knight has been cleared by the police after an allegation of serious sexual assault.
Mr Knight, who had been the chair of the Commons’ Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee before the allegation came to light, said it had been “a single, false and malicious” claim.
He also attacked his party whips for publicly naming him when the story broke, saying their actions meant his name was “dragged through the mud and my good reputation immeasurably damaged”.
But Mr Knight will not be welcomed back into the Tory ranks yet, with a spokesperson for the chief whip, Simon Hart, saying “further complaints” had been made against him.
The spokesperson said: “Following further complaints made to the Whips Office, we will not be restoring the whip to Julian Knight.
“These complaints, if appropriate, will be referred to the relevant police force, or appropriate bodies.”
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Allegations against Mr Knight were first reported in December last year and confirmed by a spokesperson for Mr Hart, who said he had removed the whip from the MP “with immediate effect” – leaving him sitting as an independent.
Mr Knight said at the time that he was “entirely innocent of any wrongdoing whatsoever”, and claimed no one from the whips office, the police or parliament’s internal grievance service had spoken to him before his name was announced.
Releasing a statement after the investigation into him was dropped, Mr Knight said: “The fact is that there was never anything for the police to investigate.
“This was a single, false and malicious allegation initially brought to them by third parties, each of whom had their own clear motives for doing so.”
He added: “In publicly naming me in connection with the allegation, the Conservative Whips’ Office acted disgracefully and in breach of natural justice by removing my anonymity.
“Their actions meant my name was dragged through the mud and my good reputation immeasurably damaged.”
‘False and scandalous’
Mr Knight also criticised the police for their conduct in the investigation, saying: “Had the police taken the simple step at the outset of interviewing me under caution, they would have seen that the allegation was false and scandalous.
“Instead, they waited four months, without ever talking to me, before deciding there was nothing for them to investigate.”
He said it was his intention to “use every legal route available to pursue those inside and outside parliament involved in having this allegation brought against me”.
The MP, who had recused himself from parliament while the investigation took place, said he was looking forward to the “immediate return” of the party whip.
Asked about Mr Knight’s case, the Metropolitan Police said they would not confirm the name of anyone who was subject of an investigation.
But the force released a statement, saying: “On 28 October 2022, police received allegations of serious sexual assault against un-named victims reported to have taken place on unknown dates at undisclosed locations.
“On 7 December 2022, a further referral relating to the incident[s] was made and an investigation was launched.
“Police are no longer proceeding with an investigation.”
The Conservative Party has been contacted for a response.
Donald Trump has criticised Vladimir Putin and suggested a shift in his stance towards the Russian president after a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy before the Pope’s funeral.
The Ukrainian president said the one-on-one talks could prove to be “historic” after pictures showed him sitting opposite Mr Trump, around two feet apart, in the large marble hall inside St Peter’s Basilica.
The US president said he doubted his Russian counterpart’s willingness to end the war after leaving Rome after the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, he said “there was no reason” for the Russian president “to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days”.
Image: The two leaders held talks before attending the Pope’s funeral
He added: “It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!”
The meeting between the US and Ukrainian leaders was their first face-to-face encounter since a very public row in the Oval Office in February.
Mr Zelenskyy said he had a good meeting with Mr Trump in which they talked about the defence of the Ukrainian people, a full and unconditional ceasefire, and a durable and lasting peace that would prevent the war restarting.
Other images released by the Ukrainian president’s office show Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron were present for part of the talks, which were described as “positive” by the French presidency.
Mr Zelenskyy‘s spokesman said the meeting lasted for around 15 minutes and he and Mr Trump had agreed to hold further discussions later on Saturday.
Image: The world leaders shared a moment before the service
Image: Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in the Basilica
But the US president left Rome for Washington on Air Force One soon after the funeral without any other talks having taken place.
The Ukrainian president’s office said there was no second meeting in Rome because of the tight schedule of both leaders, although he had separate discussions with Mr Starmer and Mr Macron.
The French president said in a post on X “Ukraine is ready for an unconditional ceasefire” and that a so-called coalition of the willing, led by the UK and France, would continue working to achieve a lasting peace.
There was applause from some of the other world leaders in attendance at the Vatican when Mr Zelenskyy walked out of St Peter’s Basilica after stopping in front of the pontiff’s coffin to pay his respects.
Image: Donald Trump and the Ukrainian president met for the first time since their Oval Office row. Pic: Reuters
Sir Tony Brenton, the former British ambassador to Russia, said the event presents diplomatic opportunities, including the “biggest possible meeting” between Mr Trump and the Ukrainian leader.
He told Sky News it could mark “an important step” in starting the peace process between Russia and Ukraine.
Professor Father Francesco Giordano told Sky News the meeting is being called “Pope Francis’s miracle” by members of the clergy, adding: “There’s so many things that happened today – it was just overwhelming.”
The bilateral meeting comes after Mr Trump’s peace negotiator Steve Witkoff held talks with Mr Putin at the Kremlin.
They discussed “the possibility of resuming direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine”, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said.
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On an extraordinary day, remarkable pictures on the margins that capture what may be a turning point for the world.
In a corner of St Peter’s Basilica before the funeral of Pope Francis, the leaders of America and Ukraine sit facing each other in two solitary chairs.
They look like confessor and sinner except we cannot tell which one is which.
In another, the Ukrainian president seems to be remonstrating with the US president. This is their first encounter since their infamous bust-up in the Oval Office.
Image: The two leaders held talks before attending the Pope’s funeral
Other pictures show the moment their French and British counterparts introduced the two men. There is a palpable sense of nervousness in the way the leaders engage.
We do not know what the two presidents said in their brief meeting.
But in the mind of the Ukrainian leader will be the knowledge President Trump has this week said America will reward Russia for its unprovoked brutal invasion of his country, under any peace deal.
Mr Trump has presented Ukraine and Russia with a proposal and ultimatum so one-sided it could have been written in the Kremlin.
Kyiv must surrender the land Russia has taken by force, Crimea forever, the rest at least for now. And it must submit to an act of extortion, a proposed deal that would hand over half its mineral wealth effectively to America.
Image: The world leaders shared a moment before the service
Afterwards, Zelenskyy said it had been a good meeting that could turn out to be historic “if we reach results together”.
They had talked, he said, about the defence of Ukraine, a full and unconditional ceasefire and a durable and lasting peace that will prevent a war restarting.
The Trump peace proposal includes only unspecified security guarantees for Ukraine from countries that do not include the US. It rules out any membership of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s allies are watching closely to see if Mr Trump will apply any pressure on Vladimir Putin, let alone punish him for recent bloody attacks on Ukraine.
Or will he simply walk away if the proposal fails, blaming Ukrainian intransigence, however outrageously, before moving onto a rapprochement with Moscow.
If he does, America’s role as guarantor of international security will be seen effectively as over.
This could be the week we see the world order as we have known it since the end of the Second World War buried, as well as a pope.