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Chris Pincher MP is facing a suspension from the House of Commons for eight weeks after a report into groping claims against him.

Mr Pincher, who no longer sits as a Conservative, quit as deputy chief whip last summer after being accused of assaulting two guests at the exclusive Carlton Club in London.

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.

Politics live: Starmer to set out Labour’s fifth mission

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”.

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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.

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.”

Boris Johnson and Chris Pincher
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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.

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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.

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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.

“After missing so many vital votes in parliament [specifically the Privileges Committee vote on Mr Johnson], Rishi Sunak must finally show some backbone and confirm he will vote to suspend Chris Pincher.

“Sunak promised to govern with integrity, he must vote with it.”

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IDF admits mistakenly identifying Gaza aid workers as threat – after video of attack showed ambulances were marked

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IDF admits mistakenly identifying Gaza aid workers as threat - after video of attack showed ambulances were marked

The IDF has admitted to mistakenly identifying a convoy of aid workers as a threat – following the emergence of a video which proved their ambulances were clearly marked when Israeli troops opened fire on them.

The bodies of 15 aid workers – including eight medics working for the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) – were found in a “mass grave” after the incident, according to the head of the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Jonathan Whittall.

The Israeli military originally claimed an investigation found the vehicles did not have any headlights or emergency signals and were therefore targeted as they looked “suspicious”.

But video footage obtained by the PRCS, and verified by Sky News, showed the ambulances and a fire vehicle clearly marked with flashing red lights.

In a briefing from the IDF, they said the ambulances arrived in the Tel Sultan neighbourhood in Rafah shortly after a Hamas police vehicle drove through.

Palestinians mourn medics, who came under Israeli fire while on a rescue mission, after their bodies were recovered, according to the Red Crescent, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo
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Palestinians mourning the medics after their bodies were recovered. Pic: Reuters

An IDF surveillance aircraft was watching the movement of the ambulances and notified troops on the ground. The IDF said it will not be releasing that footage.

When the ambulances arrived, the soldiers opened fire, thinking the medics were a threat, according to the IDF.

The soldiers were surprised by the convoy stopping on the road and several people getting out quickly and running, the IDF claimed, adding the soldiers were unaware the suspects were in fact unarmed medics.

An Israeli military official would not say how far away troops were when they fired on the vehicles.

The IDF acknowledged that its statement claiming that the ambulances had their lights off was incorrect, and was based on the testimony from the soldiers in the incident.

The newly emerged video footage showed that the ambulances were clearly identifiable and had their lights on, the IDF said.

The IDF added that there will be a re-investigation to look into this discrepancy.

The clip is filmed through a vehicle windscreen - with three red light vehicles visible in front
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The clip is filmed through a vehicle windscreen – with three red light vehicles visible in front

Addressing the fact the aid workers’ bodies were buried in a mass grave, the IDF said in its briefing this is an approved and regular practice to prevent wild dogs and other animals from eating the corpses.

The IDF could not explain why the ambulances were also buried.

The IDF said six of the 15 people killed were linked to Hamas, but revealed no detail to support the claim.

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Bodies of aid workers found in Gaza

The newly emerged footage of the incident was discovered on a phone belonging to one of the workers who was killed, PRCS president Dr Younis Al Khatib said.

“His phone was found with his body and he recorded the whole event,” he said. “His last words before being shot, ‘Forgive me, mom. I just wanted to help people. I wanted to save lives’.”

Sky News used an aftermath video and satellite imagery to verify the location and timing of the newly emerged footage of the incident.

More from Sky News:
Israeli troops expand Gaza ‘security zone’
What happened to the ceasefire?

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Aid worker attacks increasing

It was filmed on 23 March north of Rafah and shows a convoy of marked ambulances and a fire-fighting vehicle travelling south along a road towards the city centre. All the vehicles visible in the convoy have their flashing lights on.

The footage was filmed early in the morning, with a satellite image seen by Sky News taken at 9.48am local time on the same day showing a group of vehicles bunched together off the road.

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy takes swipe at US over ‘weak’ comment on Russian attack – as Ukrainian drones strike factory

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy takes swipe at US over 'weak' comment on Russian attack - as Ukrainian drones strike factory

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hit out at the US over its “weak” response to lethal Russian attacks on his hometown on Friday.

President Zelenskyy posted a lengthy and emotional statement on X about Russia’s strikes on Kryvyi Rih, which killed 19 people.

Meanwhile Ukrainian drones hit an explosives factory in Russia’s Samara region in an overnight strike, a member of Ukraine’s SBU security service told Reuters.

In his post, President Zelenskyy accused the United States of being “afraid” to name-check Russia in its comment on the attack.

“Unfortunately, the reaction of the American Embassy is unpleasantly surprising: such a strong country, such a strong people – and such a weak reaction,” he wrote on X.

“They are even afraid to say the word “Russian” when talking about the missile that killed children.”

America’s ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink had written on X: “Horrified that tonight a ballistic missile struck near a playground and restaurant in Kryvyi Rih.

“More than 50 people injured and 16 killed, including 6 children. This is why the war must end.”

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Strike on Zelenskyy’s home city

President Zelenskyy went on in his post to say: “Yes, the war must end. But in order to end it, we must not be afraid to call a spade a spade.

“We must not be afraid to put pressure on the only one who continues this war and ignores all the world’s proposals to end it. We must put pressure on Russia, which chooses to kill children instead of a ceasefire.”

Grandmother ‘burned to death in her home’

Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city’s defense council, said the missile attack, followed by a drone attack, had killed 19 people, including nine children.

“The Iskander-M missile strike with cluster munitions at the children’s playground in the residential area, to make the shrapnel fly further apart, killed 18 people.

“One grandmother was burnt to death in her house after Shahed’s direct hit.”

Russia’s defence ministry said it had struck a military gathering in a restaurant – an assertion rebutted by the Ukrainian military as misinformation.

“The missile hit right on the street – around ordinary houses, a playground, shops, a restaurant,” President Zelenskyy wrote.

Mr Zelenskyy also detailed the child victims of the attack including “Konstantin, who will be 16 forever” and “Arina, who will also be 7 forever”.

The UK’s chief of the defence staff Sir Tony Radakin said he had met the Ukrainian leader on Friday, along with French armed forces leader General Thierry Burkhard.

“Britain and France are coming together & Europe is stepping up in a way that is real & substantial, with 200 planners from 30 nations working to strengthen Ukraine’s long term security,” Sir Tony wrote.

The UK and France have spearheaded a so-called “coalition of the willing” – a group of countries that have pledged to help Ukraine secure if a ceasefire deal is reached with Russia.

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Global markets have given Trump a clear no-confidence vote – and his fickleness is making the problem worse

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Global markets have given Trump a clear no-confidence vote - and his fickleness is making the problem worse

Global financial markets gave a clear vote of no-confidence in President Trump’s economic policy.

The damage it will do is obvious: costs for companies will rise, hitting their earnings.

The consequences will ripple throughout the global economy, with economists now raising their expectations for a recession, not only in the US, but across the world.

Tariffs latest: FTSE 100 suffers biggest daily drop since COVID

Financial investors had been gradually re-calibrating their expectations of Donald Trump over the past few months.

Hopes that his actions may not match his rhetoric were dashed on Wednesday as he imposed sweeping tariffs on the US’ trading partners, ratcheting up protectionism to a level not seen in more than a century.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump holds a "Foreign Trade Barriers" document as he delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
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On Wednesday, Donald Trump announced global tariffs, ratcheting up protectionism. Pic: Reuters

04 April 2025, Hesse, Frankfurt/Main: Stock exchange traders watch their monitors on the trading floor of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange while the display board with the Dax curve shows falling prices. US President Trump had issued a huge tariff package against trading partners around the world. The European Union and China have already announced countermeasures. Photo by: Arne Dedert/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
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Traders at the Frankfurt stock exchange watched the DAX plummet on Friday. Pic: Picture-alliance/dpa/AP

Markets were always going to respond to that but they are also battling with another problem: the lack of certainty when it comes to Trump.

More on Donald Trump

He is a capricious figure and we can only guess his next move. Will he row back? How far is he willing to negotiate and offer concessions?

Read more:
No winners from Trump’s tariff gameshow
Trade war sparks ‘$2.2trn’ global sell-off

These are massive unknowns, which are piled on to uncertainty about how countries will respond.

China has already retaliated and Europe has indicated it will go further.

Aerial view of a ro-ro terminal for vehicle shipment in Yantai in eastern China's Shandong province, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Chinatopix Via AP) CHINA OUT
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Vehicles destined for export, like these in Yantai in eastern China, face massive US tariffs. Pic: Chinatopix/AP

Cargo containers line a shipping terminal at the Port of Oakland on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
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Container ports like Oakland in California might expect activity to fall. Pic: AP

That will compound the problems for the global economy and undoubtedly send shivers through the markets.

Much is yet to be determined, but if there’s one thing markets hate, it’s uncertainty.

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