The 53-year-old’s actions eventually led to the downfall of Boris Johnson, after it emerged the then prime minister was aware of an investigation into Mr Pincher’s conduct three years before, yet still appointed him to a role involving MPs’ welfare.
The parliamentary watchdog launched its investigation in October, looking at whether Mr Pincher’s actions caused “significant damage to the reputation of the House” – a breach of the members’ code.
In its conclusions, released this morning, it said his conduct had been “completely inappropriate, profoundly damaging to the individuals concerned, and represented an abuse of power”.
And it said his actions would “significantly impact public perception of the House and its members”.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
0:26
Chris Pincher was quizzed by Sky News after Boris Johnson left Downing Street
As a result, it recommended an eight week suspension, triggering a recall petition in Mr Pincher’s Tamworth constituency – if 10% of voters sign it, a by-election is called.
He would still be allowed to stand, but having announced he plans to step down at the next election anyway, it seems unlikely.
Advertisement
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is already facing three by-elections on 20 July after Mr Johnson, Nigel Adams and David Warburton announced their resignations from parliament last month.
A fourth is also expected for former culture secretary Nadine Dorries’ seat, as she has promised to resign over the treatment of Mr Johnson by the Privileges Committee – which found the ex-PM had lied to parliament over partygate.
However, she hasn’t officially stepped down yet.
Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, said Mr Pincher should “do the decent thing” and resign as an MP immediately, adding: “The people of Tamworth and the surrounding villages deserve more from their Parliamentary representative.”
Image: It emerged after the incidents that Boris Johnson had been told about Chris Pincher’s behaviour three years before, but still hired him as deputy chief whip.
The report from the Committee on Standards, following an investigation by parliament’s Commissioner for Standards, Daniel Greenberg, detailed the accusations levelled at Mr Pincher on the night of 29 June, when he was invited to speak at the Carlton Club for an event hosted by the Conservative Friends of Cyprus.
The first complainant said he had never met the MP before, but recognised him, as well as knowing some of his staff members.
At around midnight, Mr Pincher approached the House of Lords employee in the bar and grabbed his forearm, “holding it for longer than necessary, which made him feel uncomfortable, leading him to remove Mr Pincher’s arm”.
The report said the MP “went on to stroke his neck” and the complainant again removed his hand, but after a short interval, Mr Pincher returned and “squeezed the complainant’s bottom”.
It added: “The complainant describes the incident as having been traumatic and having impacted his wellbeing.”
A second complainant – a civil servant – said he was introduced to Mr Pincher, who then bought the group a round of drinks.
“Following a break in the conversation, Mr Pincher moved away from the group, then returned and touched the witness’s bottom before moving his hand to touch and squeeze the witness’s testicles, which lasted for a few seconds,” the report added.
“The witness told the Commissioner that this incident affected his health and wellbeing and caused him concern for his future work prospects.”
Two witnesses – both serving MPs – also spoke to the investigation, describing Mr Pincher as “smashed”, and said they had reported the incidents to the chief whip.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
3:46
Sky News’ political correspondent explains what the report into Chris Pincher has found.
Mr Pincher told the investigation that he did not remember the events that took place that evening, but apologised to all parties involved.
He said: “I’m conscious of the effect the evening and the coverage must have had on all the parties involved, as well as on my own family. I’m very sorry and apologise to them all, as I did the day I resigned from the government.”
However, he claimed he had returned to the club after the event in a personal capacity and denied his behaviour had caused significant damage to the reputation of the House and its members.
And he also claimed there were “inconsistencies, anomalies and gaps in the evidence” which he argued “don’t present a complete picture”.
But the commissioner, Mr Greenberg, concluded Mr Pincher had breached paragraph 17 of the 2019 Code of Conduct for Members, adding: “The damage that has been caused to the reputation and integrity of the House and its embers cannot be described as trivial, unnoteworthy, or not important to address. The damage is significant.
“It involves behaviour that by any standards was shocking, deeply inappropriate, and adversely impacted two unsuspecting individuals who had no expectation that they would be subjected to such behaviour.
“Further, it was conduct that risks advancing a misplaced public perception that members of parliament do not have to abide by normal standards of behaviour and can commit acts of misconduct with impunity.”
The committee accepted his findings and recommended the eight week suspension.
Johnson’s downfall sparked by Pincher scandal
The day after the incidents occurred, Mr Pincher resigned from his post as deputy chief whip, but Mr Johnson resisted pressure from his own MPs to suspend him from the party, leading to accusations he wasn’t taking the matter seriously enough.
He eventually did remove the whip and apologised for his part in the scandal, and for the fact he knew about previous allegations around the MP’s behaviour before appointing him.
But within minutes, both Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid quit the cabinet, and a wave of ministers followed, with the government collapsing in their wake.
And within days, Mr Johnson reluctantly resigned from office.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
0:49
Boris Johnson’s resignation speech
Labour’s Ms Rayner used today’s findings to launch a wider attack on the Conservatives, saying: “Chris Pincher’s actions are shocking. But what’s even worse, is the way the Conservative party protected him – even promoting him despite a previous investigation into his conduct.
“The British people deserve so much better than 13 years of Tory chaos and sleaze.
“Rishi Sunak has been too weak to act against Chris Pincher because he’s too weak to lead a Conservative Party which is too divided to govern the country. And it is working people who are paying the price with a cost of living crisis.”
The Liberal Democrats’ chief whip, Wendy Chamberlain, also attacked the ruling party, saying: “Chris Pincher adds his name to the long list of disgraced former Conservatives caught up in sleaze and scandal.
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.
Spreaker
This content is provided by Spreaker, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Spreaker cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Spreaker cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Spreaker cookies for this session only.
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.